Bright Eyes
by MaybeMeagan
Summary: She blinked. He blinked. He had bright eyes. She had brighter. The mission wasn't going the way it was planned for either of them. Ino Sasori.
1. Chapter 1

HEYYY! This Meagan and welcome to teh first chapter of Bright Eyes. Named for my love of the band! InoSaso cause I like it :3. I hope you enjoy! And I hope you will review cause they make me happy and make me continue to write even when I can't. I actually wrote this pretty quick like listening to pandora. But enough about me! I hope you enjoy.

**disclaimer: I don't even own the title :P**

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Chapter One: 50 cents

It should have been faster then this. She should have been diving into darkness right about now. She should have known the secret everyone eventually learns. What happens after you die.

Instead she was still here. She opened her eyes slowly, vision blocked by blood and blonde hair, and saw the man in front of her. He had green eyes. Were they green? She felt that maybe they were blue green. She didn't know why she was thinking this. There was so much she should have been thinking about.

Like what was her name? Ino. Her name was Ino. She used the past tense in her thoughts because this time she felt she was going to die. It was about time she got used to past tenses.

" You can kill me," she didn't know where the courage came from. This man. What was his name? She didn't know. She tried to bring her hand up to brush the blonde out of her face. It didn't move from beside her.

" Don't try to move," the voice was calm and almost dull. She hadn't heard a voice like it in a very long time.

" Are you killing me?" Ino asked trying to open her eyes, her sight was distorted and she couldn't make anything out.

" No, close your eyes."

" OK…" Ino told him. She blinked and it got dark.

* * *

Ino rushed to the Hokage's as fast as her legs could go. Well, maybe not as fast. She didn't want to hurt herself after all. She stopped only once and that was to help a kid who had gotten themselves stuck. She couldn't just wiz by. The boy, who was blonde, reminded her of herself as a young academy student. Always getting in trouble. It felt like many years had past since she was a kid.

She still was very much a kid. She still wasn't eighteen or anything and just barely a Chuuin. Still it felt like a great many years had passed her by. That was what she was thinking when she finally made it to the Hokage's. She looked around seeing other females in the room.

" Oh." Ino looked around seeing all the other faces. "Hey?" She was beginning to think she was the last person to arrive.

" Ok we can start not," Tsunade told the other girls who looked bored, even Hinata who always tried hard to look interested. Ino sweat dropped and took a place in between Sakura and Tenten.

" I need all of you to do a mission for me," Tsunade told the girls opening up various scrolls and maps. All of them gasped, surprised. Not because of a mission, missions were common. The fact that only females were going was the thing that most surprised them. Ino always had to go with the boys because poor fragile Ino couldn't do all by her lonesome.

The very thought made her sick.

But this? This could actually be interesting.

" We need better relationships with a small village off the coast," Oooh Ino thought inwardly grinning , I hope the weather is super nice! She stopped listening for awhile thinking of sun and hot boys. She was a teenage girl. She was allowed to let her hormones get the better of her sometimes.

" I want you to treat this mission with tact," Tsunade continued and Ino started to listen again. The end of mission briefs is really the only important part, she learned that when she first became a real ninja.

" And use your feminine charms to win over the hearts of some of the reigning princes."

Ino could not believe it. The Hokage wanted her to flirt up some boys! How easy! Now she was excited.

" But!" Sakura was the first to complain! Of course she would complain! Ino cursed in her mind. Sakura just can't appreciate a good vacation! Sakura and Tenten were grimacing at the very idea. Hinata just looked plain embarrassed to be alive, playing with strands of her long locks.

" You have to do this, Sakura, for your village." Ino scoffed at the Hokage's reply to the complaining. As far as she was concerned every single Hokage in living memory has used to ' for your village' card and would continue using it.

After much convincing and many ' I don't want tos' later the girls were finally leaving for their mission.

They walked in silence for a moment. Ino really didn't know all of them too well and she didn't know what to say. They were all girls around her age and yet they really didn't spend that much time together, save Sakura. And even then talking to Sakura always ended up in an argument even though, as much as Ino did not want to admit it, Sakura was her best friend.

" So… um… I hope this goes well," surprisingly it was Hinata that decided to break the ice. Ino was kind of proud of her in a odd way.

" Yeah!" Ino feeling it was OK to talk now, seeing that she wasn't the one who started the conversation. " And no annoying boys! No more your troublesome for a while!" She was honestly excited. Maybe she could get the really cute price that wanted to know everything about her and at the end of their mission they would have a teary goodbye where he would admit he honestly fell in love with her. Then she would have to tell him it was all a mission and he would tell her he already knew but that didn't stop him from his love.

She really had to stop reading those 50cent novels her mom bought.

" I'm going to miss Naruto and Sai a bit," Sakura admitted as she walked. Ino scoffed. She knew that Sakura says that but in a week she'll be really happy to be away from Mr. Too Much Emotion and Mr. I Never Show Any Emotion. She liked Sai, but he was really starting to irk her. Telling her she was lovely but she wasn't sure he was telling the truth.

No one seemed to tell her the truth anymore. Ino dreaded on this thought as Tenten talked about Neji. It's so obvious she likes him! Ino thought as she continued under her black cloud. She looked at Sakura and that made her think of Sasuke.

Sakura, what would you say if I told you I gave up on him? Ino thought while looking at the ground. Would you be happy?

" I'm kind of nervous," Hinata admitted as she too seemed to have a black cloud over her. " I just don't know why the Hokage choose me."

Ino chocked on her own spit. It was obvious why Hinata was chosen. Just look at her! She had guys falling for her left and right. She just never noticed, since she had already fallen so hard for Naruto. ( Which Ino would never for the life of her understand. Love wasn't something the blonde wasn't too familiar with, honestly. Well except for those damn novels and novellas)

" Hinata," Ino smirked. " Shut up. Your like the prettiest girl ever. Really. And boys find shy girls to be oh so sexy!"

" What Pig means to say is, you should be more confident!" Sakura came in, putting a hand on Hinata's thin shoulders. " You're a beautiful ninja! Not only that but you are strong willed and humble. You don't even need beauty but you have it, so cheer up." Ino frowned. That was basically what she said just it sounded better.

People were always doing that to her. Like it was her fault she couldn't always say she was thinking! It wasn't like she was an author or anything. She did sometimes secretly wish she was, late at night. But she was barely even a ninja much less a talented author.

Not like she would admit that to these girls. They wouldn't believe her anyways.

For a while their was no talking. They needed to make it to a place to pitch camp before sunset. And make enough distance so they could make it to their destination at a reasonable hour the next day. Ino loved the camping part of missions. She loved the stars and how they seemed to be look after her in the sky. She used to think when she was just a child that the stars were up their to keep the moon company.

They were beautiful like art. Ino didn't know exactly what art was but she was pretty sure that the stars counted. She also thought the clouds counted for that matter. Maybe her partner rubbed off on her more then she thought.

This made her sad. Yeah, she promised herself she was going to have fun but already she was missing her partners. She shook her head and remembered the fight.

She couldn't believe she had forgotten it.

She couldn't believe they actually said what they said.

The fight was stupid. The fight was about how she was annoying. It entailed how she was the only member of heir team that was just a dead weight. It had even gone so far as to calling her just a weak, stupid girl.

Ino already knew all of this but she didn't like being reminded.

So the rest of the trip she went in silence. The voices of the other girls just murmurs in her ears now. She couldn't quite hear them anymore. She didn't want to. Not for a while anyways.

" Ino!" Sakura yelled, getting Ino out of her own thoughts.

" I want you to go ahead for camp, Hinata fell and I need to take a look, Tenten is scouting in the opposite direction!" Sakura instructed as she went to Hinata. Ino really didn't care. If she was in a better mood she might have complained but being a lone was OK.

If only she knew what was waiting for her. If only she had noticed the red hair and green eyes.

She blinked. All it took was a blink and they were there.


	2. Chapter 2

hey!! This is meagan and welcome to chapter two of Bright eyes :). It was kind of hard to write but I have some ideas. So that's good. So I have this story and yes SasoIno is a bit odd but I like it so I hope you'll like it. Please R&R ;D. Deidara's uns are annoying. I hope I didn't use them too much or little. Any-who enough of me :D

Disclaimer: I'm on my big brother's comp... i rlly don't own much

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Chapter two: Choices

It wasn't his first mission for the organization. It was nowhere near his first mission, so why was it so hard? Looking at the girl for the first time, he took note that she really wasn't that special. Her nose was much too pointed, she looked like a fairy. Her left ear was fairly larger then her right, you couldn't miss it. Her forehead wasn't too incredibly large, as far as foreheads go. Her eye lashes, in his opinion, were curves just right. Her mouth was neither too large nor too small.

That was the problem. Every time he got to all her many bad qualities they would shift to good qualities and he was pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen.

Something had to be wrong with him because he was pretty ruthless. His partner could back him up on that one.

Yet, normally he'd be able to kill her. Or at least turn her into a puppet or something. He had plenty less then average puppets lying around, she was kind of pretty. He supposed he could maybe have used her as a bait for enemies.

He didn't like that thought much.

"Sasori- Danna!" his partner called after him. Sasori looked at him. The man was called Deidara. A blonde with a huge mouth, three if you got technical, much to Sasori's everlasting chagrin.

"What?" his voice slightly muffled out due to Hiruko. His best puppet.

" Why am I carrying them both, un?" The blonde had two bodies tucked between both arms. Both alive, as far as Sasori could tell, but he had a habit where he called people bodies. That's what they were after all. Bodies.

"Because we don't have anymore room in Hiruko," It was cramped inside the puppet. They had a mission to steal some scrolls but also their client said they could teal whatever they wanted and kill whoever they wanted in the process. It was easy and Kakuza would be in a slightly better mood. Money was the only thing that helped the guys mood. That and chopping off his partner's head.

It was all about the simple pleasures in this house.

" Couldn't you use your puppet strings, Danna?"

" No."

The rest of the trip went on in silence, Deidara complaining about how annoying Sasori was and Sasori telling him quite often to shut up. Such was their relationship.

"Why didn't you kill her?" The blonde partner asked, the silence getting the best of him at last.

" Because she asked," Sasori told him quickly, not wanting to talk about it. Deidara scoffed and shook his head.

" If I asked you to kill me you would, un," He grumbled only to get a because you annoy me from Sasori putting him into a sour mood.

When they finally made it back to camp, tucked away in the rain village. The people even waved as they arrived. The Akatsuki were welcomed here.

The two captives were still out cold. The blonde was drooling slightly with her mouth wide open. Sasori decided to get her from Deidara, figuring he could at least help his partner a little.

They made way into the camp, some members gathering in curiosity to the captives. It was rare for other people to be allowed inside the main camp even the most apathetic members were slightly intrigued by the sight.

' Who are the girls?" A member asked as he approached the two.

" Girls, un ," Deidara answered, not really sure of who they had himself.

"Is leader in?" Sasori asked a male that looked more like a fish then a man ,blowing off the other member.

" He's in his room," The man, Kisame, answered with a sharky grin, showing off his rows of teeth. Sasori only nodded, complete unfazed by the man, Deidara made a quick face still turned off by the many teeth.

" They're pretty," Kisame chuckled as he watched the two other members leave. His laugh followed them down the hallway.

The two made way to the leader's room. Knocking slightly before coming in. Sasori never waited for an answer. He didn't feel the need too.

" Hello, Sasori, what do you have there?" The leader was already accustomed to Sasori's rudeness and didn't dwell on it. Nobody in the house seemed to mind anymore. A polite Sasori would be an odd sight.

" Leaf nin, un," Deidara answered, excitement in his tone. He liked it when things got exciting. These ninja were his ticket to excitement, and he very well knew it.

" We found them on our way back from the mission, the other two got away," Sasori told the leader in his dull monotone.

" The other two that actually noticed and tried to fight, un," Deidara murmured under his breath. The pink brat and the panda freak were actually annoying. The blonde and the other girl were just unlucky. One being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the other with a broken ankle.

" Yamanaka and a Hyuuga, nicely done," the leader said as he looked down at the two girls. His name was Pein but the other members were to call him leader or Leader-sama. " They might come in handy, we could also put a ransom out for them. You know how the leaf are about their ninja." Pein nodded then turned to the two members.

"Keep them in your rooms till they wake up," and he disappeared into the darkness. He tended to do that a lot, Deidara didn't know if he just liked doing it at that point or if there was a real reason for him disappearing into the darkness.

" You take the blonde, she drooling and I actually sleep in my bed, un," Deidara told his partner as he shuffled into his own room with the dark haired girl, kind of disappointed. Hyuuga's were kind of dull and he already knew she probably had no idea what excitement was, much less art.

Sasori carried the drooling girl into his room plopping her onto his bed. He watched her as the drool dripped and made a wet spot, he was already starting to not like her.

" Hey," The girl murmured when he finally turned around. Her eyes were in thin slits, she was obviously exhausted.

"Yes?" He asked her from a distance, turning around to face her, taking note of her appearance, how pale her skin was.

" You ruined my vacation," she murmured before still looking at him through thin eyes. Sasori was shocked. He was expecting a wimpy thank you for not killing her or some defiant line. No. The only thing he was, was a random guy who ruined a vacation.

She was interesting.

" You ruined my mission," Sasori told her as he sat at his desk, wood and other supplies littering it. He picked up a arm and started tinkering with it.

" I'm Ino, who are you?" Ino asked not really seeing through her hair and not really all there.

" Sasori." He felt that she should at least be honored with his name. Who knew how long she was staying there. Ino nodded and looked at him coldly.

" You're one of the Akatsuki, aren't you," Ino told him remembering the cloaks. Remembering all the blood. He nodded. She sighed and flipped on her back.

" Am I the only one?"

" No."

" Who else is here?" she asked putting her hands on her face, noticing the spit and trying desperately to wipe it off.

" A Hyuuga," he told her remembering what the boss had told him. She brushed her hair out of her face and really looked at him.

" Hinata!" Ino gasped shaking her head as if she was shaking off the very idea. " Where is she?"

" Sleeping in another associates room."

" She's shy so please," Ino didn't know what she meant or why she thought the S class criminal would listen to her but she needed to make sure that Hinata would be OK.

There was a silence after this. Sasori looking at her with a blank expression. Ino was sure that was the only expression he could make.

" So I'm guessing that I can't escape," she sighed.

" You're connected to me." Sasori made her arm lift using his chakra strings, Ino felt her skin lose all color and tried to recompose herself. Ino could of sworn that she saw Sasori chuckle but she wasn't sure.

" So if I just got up and ran, you could pull me back?"

" Yes, so don't even try."

" Well, that sucks," Ino murmured as she put her hands over her face. Sasori could of sworn that she stifled a sob but he couldn't really be all that sure.

They both fell into silence. Ino watching Sasori work and before finally drifting back into a deep sleep. Sasori watching her.

* * *

It was her second day there. Ino sat there sniffling about how she could have been with her fellow ninja. Safe. That she was never going home again. She wanted nothing more then to wake up as if it all had been a dream. Maybe she could wake up as a small child and live completely differently. It was a silly wish but it kept her going in the time she spent alone. She cursed Sakura for ever making her scout ahead because it was the only thing she could do alone in her corner. After she was done feeling sorry for herself she decided to leave Sasori's room.

She figured that there was no way she could leave but she could probably get away with a little exercise. Probably.

" What are you doing, un?" Deidara asked her as she tip toed the halls.

" Nothing?" She asked really not wanting to be sent back or killed. Ino smiled and tried to get the man to leave.

" Sasori said you were a handful, un," Deidara sighed and looked at her.

"Shut up."

" You, un."

" I just wanted to get out," she admitted looking to the ground embarrassed.

" Then get out, Ino." He teased, sticking out his tongue. The two got along well, it was weird. Being friendly with him when she knew the situation.

" How do you know my name?"

" Sasori told me, un."

" Oh." Ino smiled and poked his chest. " What's your name then?"

" Deidara," he smiled.

" Where is Sasori?" Ino only asked because she thought she remembered Deidara was there when she was first caught by the Akatsuki. Maybe he would know where the red head had gotten to.

" I don't know, un." Deidara shrugged. " Maybe the leader wanted him."

" Leader?"

The wasn't answered.

" Why am I even here?" Ino asked, needing an answer. She was sure Deidara would give her an answer.

" Because the leader was somehow interested in you and the other one," Deidara told her shrugging. Ino sighed.

" I'm really not that special,"

" Danna didn't kill you, un."

" So?"

Deidara laughed and ruffled her hair.

" You really are a handful aren't you, un?" he said and took her by the arm. " You wanted to get out, right? Come on." he said as he lead her to the main room. Ino was confused but she went with him because really. What other choice did she have?


	3. Chapter 3

Heyy! This is Meagan again and thank you everyone for reviews and alerts :). If you're wondering why Hinata is along for this ride because as I was writing I figured it was so unlikely that only one of them was kidnapped, seeing as how Hinata did have a broken ankle and that got me thinking. I liked how I had set it up so I just kept it. So yep :). Now I actually have plans for her so thats good. Well anywho on to the story ;D.

Disclaimer. This is not my creation. I just choose to embellish it :)

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Chapter three. Humanity.

Ino walked with Deidara, his hands were sweating and it was really starting to sicken her. Maybe she could brush his hand off her arm but she thought maybe that would be a little rude. Just a little. That and he might blow her up. That wasn't necessarily on her to do list at the moment. So she sucked it up and continued walking with the blonde member.

That's when she noticed the ugly scar on his arm. From being so immerged in working in the hospital she knew that it was a nasty wound. One that could easily get infected. Her mind flashed to the green of the leg the doctors cut off a small child. She remembered the screaming and gagged.

" What's wrong, un?" Deidara looked at her and stopped walking, she felt that he almost sounded concerned.

" Your wound," she told him touching it, her hands glowing from chakra. " That could get infected." Soon the wound completely disappeared.

Just as soon Ino felt the affects of using that much chakra after all that she went through in the last two days. She staggered a bit but regained composure.

" Wow," Deidara spoke with awe as he touched his skin. " It doesn't even hurt anymore! Thank you, un!" He looked to Ino smiling widely his hand out.

This is when Ino noticed that the mouth on his hand was grinning as well. Well that explained why her arm was wet. Ino wasn't sure what thought grossed her out more. Sweaty hands or palms that lick people. She would have to think about that one.

" You're welcome," she told him, wincing a bit. " Where are we going?" She asked as she leaned on the wall, trying her best to give a smile. Fake as it probably was.

" You want to see the other girl, un?" Deidara picking Ino up a bit." She's out in the main room, un. I told I'd get you, she was asking for you." Ino gasped. Hinata was still OK, Ino felt tears about to gush out.

" Are you ok, un?" Deidara asked, not expecting the blonde to break out in tears.

" Y-Yes," Ino choked out as the tears started to drip down her cheeks. Ino felt her skin turn bright red as these weren't ordinary happy tears. No. She was full out bawling.

" Don't cry, un!" Deidara yelled, starting to freak out. " Danna will be angry!"

" Shut up!"

" Deidara, what are you doing to her?" A dull monotone came from behind Ino. She felt pressure on her back, like someone was holding her up. She turned her head to come face to face with Sasori. She desperately wanted to wipe her face, but he had control of her arms now.

" She just started crying, un!" Deidara yelled, putting his hands in the air. " I didn't do anything I swear!" He started to look on the verge of tears himself, which caused Ino to giggle. It was like a hiccup on account of the tears but it was the first time she laughed in what felt like forever.

" I would hope not," Sasori murmured as he took hold of the petite blonde, letting her lean on him. Ino smiled, glad the tears were stopping. " She looks horrible when she's crying." He said and looked down at Ino who just laughed.

" She cries when I tell her good news but Danna calls her horrible looking and its Ok, Un!" Deidara complained throwing his arms in the air exhausted.

" What happened to the scar on your arm, Brat?" The red haired man asked, intrigued by the lack of scar. He was there , after all, when Deidara was struck by the blade that caused it. Unfortunately he was also there during Kakuzu's shabby job at stitching Deidara up. Now that would have traumatized anyone normal.

" She healed it before she started to cry, un!"

" Interesting," Sasori murmured as he started to walk with Ino. " You want to see the other girl right? " He didn't wait for her to affirm as he walked into the main room. Sitting in the middle of the main room was indeed Hinata rubbing her ankle. Next to her was what Ino would have called a fish, had it not been or the clothes or the fact it was laughing.

Was everyone in the Akatsuki a freak? Ino was beginning to think the answer to that question was a big fat in your face yes.

That didn't stop her from running to the dark haired girl and giving her the biggest bear hug she ever gave anyone in her life. What did stop her was the fact she was super tired and Sasori still had his grip on her.

"Hinata!" Ino choked out from her sobs, waving at her fellow ninja. Hinata looked up shyly but on sight of Ino she covered her mouth and she too began to tear up.

" Ino!" Hinata smiled and looked at Kisame who helped her up. "Ino, I am so glad! I was so worried when um Deidara-san told me you were here too!" Kisame helped the girl wobble her way to Ino, embracing her. Ino noticed Hinata's ankle and frowned. Sakura wasn't able to heal it so that meant Hinata must have been captured before herself. Ino wondered how she hadn't noticed before.

" I was worried about you," She whispered. Sasori's eye brow raised. The girl hadn't been meek since he met her. Why now?

" Oh! This is Kisame-san, he and Deidara-san have been helping me walk," Hinata quickly introduced Ino to the S-Class criminal.

" Pleased to meet you, Ino-chan," Kisame said through his sharky smirk. Ino couldn't honestly say the feeling was mutual but she smiled and lied.

"Oh yeah, this is Sasori," Ino couldn't believe it. Last week she would have laughed if someone told her Hinata was going to introduce her to a member of the Akatsuki in her near future much less herself doing it.

" Hinata-chan was telling me you're a medic," Kisame smiled a toothy grin at Ino as she nodded her head.

" Yes, one of the um best," Hinata nodded, Deidara took over the part of keeping her up.

" She healed my arm, un!" Deidara showed Hinata who slowly felt the new skin. She gasped at the difference, she had seen the wound before. " She could probably fix up that ankle of yours, un."

" She can't heal right now," Sasori interrupted. " She's much to weak." He put his arm around her once more. " I'm taking her into my room so she can get some rest. Say your goodbyes, Ino."

Ino made a face at this. He was so bossy and he made it seem like she was dying. She didn't argue, seeing as she was tired and hugged Hinata, promising in a whisper to heal her when she could.

" Get better, Ino-chan," Hinata smiled and squeezed Ino once more. Ino smiled sadly, proud of how brave Hinata was being.

" Are you two close?" Sasori asked as they made their way back into his room.

" Not at all, really." Ino admitted looking to the ceiling. " We never really talked… I've known her all my life but in Konoha people don't mix. You know who you are going to be surrounded with by day one. It's kind of silly, isn't it?" she laughed even though it wasn't funny.

" What?' he asked, impressed. This girl was changing his first impression of her, which was that of her being fairly weak and stupid.

" Oh, just how sheltered the villages really are," she answer sniffling a bit. " I mean, this is my first time being with people I don't know. Even in different countries I always have my partners. Now, I'm not safe. You could kill me and nobody would think twice," she laughed a bitter laugh. " and you know what? I feel really good."

Sasori didn't know what to say but he nodded.

" The villages can be," he searched for the right word. " Suffocating." Ino looked up to him.

" I feel like you just told me a lot about yourself but I'm not sure what to make of it."

" I could say the same about you."

She laughed and smiled.

" I guess you could, huh?" She didn't say anything after that. A couple times he felt like he could but Sasori liked the silence. Suddenly she stumbled and he picked her up. Not surprised by how light she was.

He delicately plopped her onto the bed and started working on his creations. It was hard to concentrate but he managed.

" Hey," Sasori slightly jumped not expecting a voice that late. He looked over to see Ino eyeing him.

" What do you want?" He asked returning to work, not looking at her.

" I was just wondering if you wanted the bed seeing as I've been sleeping on it and I suspect you're probably tired and," Ino blushed embarrassed about forgetting about her host, sleeping her young life away.

" I don't need to," Sasori chuckled, or what Ino thought was his attempt at chuckling. It had that monotone in it.

" You need to sleep," Ino continued. " At the hospital people would get really sick when they didn't sleep."

Ino was about to get into a long and intricate story about this lady that she and Sakura were nurses to that hadn't slept in a week and was starting to dream while awake. Right before she did she was interrupted by Sasori.

" Ino," Sasori sigh turning around to face her. " I don't need to. Look," He brushed up his sleeve showing her his joints. Then he took off his shirt and showed her the lack of skin. The lack of a heart. She gasped and nearly fell out of the bed.

" My soul is sill intact, it is just in this body instead."

" Why?"

He didn't know how to answer. No one had asked him that before.

" It's easier like this." He told her shaking his head. He turned to face her, almost taken back by the look of sadness that now engulfed her face.

" That's so sad that you would think that," she murmured turning around so she didn't have to face him. Now she knew why his green eyes always looked so glassy. She didn't want to look at him. She felt her heart lower in her chest.

It didn't matter what she wanted since Sasori used his puppet strings to make the blonde look at him.

" Why do you say that?' he asked her his green eyes looking directly into her blue. She quickly diverted her gaze, not looking at him.

" Do you remember the last time you laughed because your heart was so full of happiness or that feeling when you look at someone and it just feels right?" Ino hadn't felt the latter herself but she would never give up the opportunity to feel it. The man in front of her wasn't even a man anymore and for some reason that really depressed Ino.

" I don't see why you care so much," Sasori also diverted his gaze looking to the joints on his arm.

" Maybe because I still have a heart?" that was a cold thing to say, but Ino didn't care. She turned away from him and stared at the wall. Soon she started to feel terrible about what she said and snuck a look at the red head .

He was still turned to face her. A horrible feeling overtook her when she noticed him looking at his arms, touching the joints. Maybe I should apologize she thought but a part of her couldn't. A part of her still couldn't believe someone would throw away their humanity as if it was spare change.

After a while she whispered. " I'm sorry I asked, Sasori-san. Truly I am," and fell asleep. Wondering if he had heard her.

He heard her. She wasn't a good whisperer.

* * *

For the next couple days Ino saw Sasori little, sure he was avoiding her. During that time she met with everyone and soon knew all of the associates names, seeing as she was quick with names and faces. Also in that time she was too heal people. Wounds were a daily thing so many times she felt busier here then she ever did in the hospital.

Today she was sitting in a dining room with Deidara who was talking about his mission. Hinata was also there nodding. It shocked Ino how peaceful she felt at that moment.

" Ino!" Ino's peace was broken when she saw Sasori. She frowned, biting her lip.

" An associate is hurt," He murmured, not looking at her, gently pulling her up. " Do you think you could heal him?"

" Yes" Ino didn't even think of her response. She knew that was probably frowned upon. She had learnt in the past two days that Sasori did not work off instinct but logic. He didn't flat up tell her but she had wonderful insight when it came to that kind of stuff.

" Come on then," he told her pulling at her arm and making her leave., She frowned, knowing she offended him. He's usually so much gentler, she thought biting her lip.

They came to a bloody mess, Ino noticed Hinata had already beaten her and Sasori to the scene and from what Ino could tell she was talking to the victim. Ino approached, her hand infused with Chakra and came eye to eye with none other then Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi was almost never injured and she had few conversations with him. Mostly she conversed with Kisame or Deidara. She had even met Konan, another female whom she enjoyed speaking too. Itachi? He wasn't someone she could easily say hello to. Something about killing his entire clan and leaving his brother just didn't fly with her.

Oh boy. Ino thought as she worked on his wounds, a nasty gash covering his stomach. It was hard to look at but Itachi was calm, listening to Hinata as she talked. Ino did too, Hinata's voice calming both her and her patient as the dark haired girl went on about eggs and other ordinary things.

It made Ino wonder why she never worked at the Hospital.

" Ok,' Ino put her hands up, admiring her work. " Someone pick him up and put him somewhere so he can rest." she told the others and looked at Hinata who smiled.

And she couldn't stop herself from smiling back. But soon she thought of Sasori and how he didn't have a heart and she frowned. She would have to speak with him as soon as possible.

* * *

Please review~ Tell me what you think :. Until next time. Bye bye! 


	4. Chapter 4

Heeeey! Sorry for the lack of getting new chapters. I forgot the word I was going to use so sorry for an even awkwarder sentence. Yay!! I know this couple makes little to no sense but I appreciate those who don't care xD. I've been playing FF13 and its so pretty :D. I love it very much. That and Kimi ni Todoke. It's a great Shoujo I recommend to anyone who enjoys slow paced stories with a shy heroine.

Disclaimer: :3. Nope. I own nothing :3.

Chapter 4: Wishes to be made

* * *

Sakura crashed into the Hokage's office, followed by her partner. They were both fairly injured as they did collapsing on her floor. They were talking but nothing understandable escaped their lips. The only thing Tsunade was able to make out was Akatsuki. Over and over again.

"What happened?" Tsunade commanded, quickly tending to the two girls. Sakura coughed and looked up to her leader.

"Ino and Hinata were kidnapped!" She closed her eyes then stood up, wincing. "Hinata was injured and they took Ino as she scouted ahead." She started to tear up. Hinata was taken before she could heal her ankle but she still fought so hard and Ino… She had no idea what became of Ino. Ino was just gone. It was scary and for some reason it took them awhile to notice her absent.

It was wrong. It felt right. She didn't understand why she was so at peace. Something in the back of Sakura's mind screamed that Ino was OK. Better then before.

She shut it out quickly. Blaming it on exhaustion.

"I think the blond was Deidara of Iwa," Tenten followed up, also standing. She was grimacing; a dark look planted on her cool face. "The other was within a puppet… we had no idea who he was." She finished, looking to the floor.

Tsunade bit her lip. She knew who he was.

"That man is called…"

"Sasori!" Ino called after the red haired member as she entered his room. He looked up from where he worked, caught off guard by the girl. He didn't say anything but turned back around, connecting more darts to Hiruko.

"I just wanted to talk," she quickly explained, amazed. She should have been wondering how to escape. To connect with her fellow ninja. But no. Her main worry was him.

"Talk then," he told her turning around, blinking once… Ino sighed, she really hated when he did that. It made it harder to tell him things. She knew that was probably why he was doing it but still.

"It's just that ever since I learned about what you are you've been weird and," she had no idea where she was going but Ino was always one to speak what was on her mind. "I know you think it was a good idea but I think that being human is… well a burden sure! Some days I hate it but other days I want to sing!" Sasori looked at her. Never in his life had he wanted to sing. Ino figured as much yet that didn't stop the words from trickling out.

He wanted to tell her to shut up. Part of him just wished that he killed her. Another part screamed why not just kill her now? Then a small part, a part that seldom got his say, wanted to hear what she had to say.

"Sure I'm not lasting forever and yeah I'm not that strong but, "Ino gulped looking at him then began to stare at his floor. " I love my emotions and I would never get that up so it just confused me." There was silence. Sasori was really taking in what she had to say.

He found it funny how she mentioned the part of lasting forever. He wondered why.

"Why do you mention not lasting forever?" he voiced his thoughts after thinking about exactly what to say.

"Oh because I heard you and Deidara argue about art yesterday," she admitted, still staring at the floor fiddling with her shirt nervously. "And you said art was something that lasts forever and I always thought that art was something that didn't necessarily last forever but lasts forever in your heart. You know like how beauty is in the eye of the beholder? That'd what I think…" She about floored him. To her surprise she had gotten a faint smile out of the puppet master. She looked up just in time to catch it before it went back to the usual unemotional self.

But Ino caught it. And that made her smile widely.

"What do you know about art?" he asked, also looking away.

"I used to make flower arrangements," Ino admitted, remembering her home and getting a sad feeling deep within her heart. "My family owns a shop and there were millions of flowers. Every morning I could get up and pick some. You should have seen them! Oh, I always wanted to own the shop when I was older Those moments are some of the best I can remember." she smiled sadly looking into the distance, as if she was looking at something Sasori couldn't quite see.

Sasori wanted her to smile widely again.

"Do you want to go outside?" Sasori asked, getting up and taking her with him.

"Will Hinata be there?" Ino wanted to know. She'd feel dirty is she was the only one who got to see the outside again.

"You really care about her don't you?" Sasori asked, tugging her to Deidara's room to get Hinata. He was just going to bring her but he couldn't help but help her. That and the black haired girl was her only connection to home. Everyone had their connections to their homes. He had his parents and the kage of his former village.

He chuckled a bit thinking how she'd probably freak out if she heard that.

A he did she stared at him like he was out of his mind. Sasori wasn't the type to just randomly chuckle about something. Kisame? Yes. Deidara? Probably. Tobi? Totally. Sasori? When hell froze over.

" Sasori-kun?" Ino asked, looking at him concerned. "Are you OK?"

"I was just thinking about someone."

"Oh." Now this floored Ino. He was shocking her more and more as the night went on. Smiling and now this? It was becoming evident that she really didn't know this man at all, but she wanted too.

"Hey, let's just go out the two of us," Ino decided suddenly, looking at him. " I don't want to disturb her." She murmured.

" OK," He shrugged, he didn't quite understand but he was a little relieved. He liked it better this way. He never was one for many people at one time.

When they made it the last lights in the sky were fading and the sun was exploding in many shades of purples and oranges. She gasped at the beauty, they didn't have sunsets like that in Konoha. She had never seen anything like it.

" That's beautiful," she gasped, looking at it excitedly following Sasori, who leading her onto the roof. When she got there she plopped down and watched the sky, mesmerized.

" I love this," she smiled watching the sky. " It was never this pretty in Konoha," she admitted to him completely excited.

" Something about the rain village," Sasori shrugged, " It makes things beautiful." Ino nodded taking in the sky. The moisture in the air making it hard to breath.

" Are you OK?" Sasori asked noticing the change in her breath.

" Yeah," Ino smiled taking in another breath. It felt good. Not dry like the air she was used to.

" The only time I remember a sunset this pretty was the one before my first mission," Ino after a brief silence admitted, looking up. " I was so excited I couldn't sleep."

There was a comfortable silence between them.

" Are you getting restless?" Sasori asked her. Looking at her face. He couldn't read the expression. " Would you like to go on a mission?" It wasn't like she could escape. She was completely connected to him. Her body.

" Can I even do that?" she had to admit she was excited. She needed to do something other then just heal people. Yes, she was busy but she was getting restless.

" I can ask and it's not like you can escape," he proved his point by raising her arm with his chakra strings.

" I wasn't planning too," she admitted, looking back at the sky. She was slightly embarrassed by her honesty but she soon swallowed it down with the first star.

" Look!" she screamed pointing to the sky. " Make a wish!" she closed her eyes and made one. He did too. But with his eyes open.

"What'd you wish for?" he asked her, curious. Ino didn't answer.

" It won't come true if I tell you!" she stuck her tongue out and looked to the heavens. Her wish was a silly one. She wanted him to be human. She decided that was what she wanted earlier but she couldn't dare tell Sasori that.

Partly because she was embarrassed. Partly because somewhere inside of her she truly believed it was going to come true. That and she didn't want him to get angry.

He had a much different wish. He wished that she would always smile.

Pein sat in his office, thinking about missions and plans and wondering what Kakuzu was doing with the food budget. It had came to his attention earlier that the man wasn't exactly giving much to it. He had to admit that his men liked to eat.

Well, most of them ate like normal human beings, save two.

Kisame and Zetzu. Zetzu was already taken care of but Kisame? The man could eat five raw elephants and be hungry for more. Oh and he had a little habit of only eating raw meat.

Pein really needed to interview people before he let them into the Akatsuki. That or get their eating habits first.

" Leader." it was Sasori. Sasori was the only one that would not knock. He had tried telling him he had to but that didn't change anything. If Sasori didn't want to knock he wasn't going to. That was that and the whole Akatsuki knew it.

They simply just got over it.

" Yes?" Pein tried to sound uninterested but Sasori rarely visited him. It must have been something big or Sasori would have just gotten rid of the problem.

" It's Ino," Sasori told him and the leader almost did a back take. Sasori was calling her by name? Asking about her? The leader felt that the world really must have been changing.

" What about her?" Maybe he wanted to kill her. Maybe he already killed her. Many ideas went through Pein's mind. Each getting more gruesome then the next.

Maybe he wanted feed her to Kisame and Zetzu!

" I want her to go on a mission," Sasori told him taking out a scroll and opening it. A mixture of disappointment and relief washed over the leader. He kind of hoped it would have been interesting but he was glad he didn't have to explain why there was blonde hairs in that evenings soup.

Sasori continued

" This is her family description. She can use the mind transfer technique and her family has a history of Chakra endurance. She's also, as you know, a medic. I think she could be a powerful asset." Now Pein was floored.

And getting a slight feeling of déjà vu. Mainly because Deidara came in earlier. Saying the same thing but he was talking about the black haired girl. Hinata.

" Well, Deidara told me the same about Hinata," Pein told Sasori, starting to wonder what these girls were doing to his associates.

" Are you comparing me to that Brat?"

" No." Pein sighed. It was like walking in a mine field, dealing with Deidara and Sasori. Deidara was quick to argue and blow up while Sasori was quick to kill you with or without words.

" I don't know anything about Hinata but I'm sure they'll be OK," Sasori continued. " They are of the leaf village."

" You know how Konoha is about their females, though," Pein told the puppet master who only shrugged.

" Konoha is full of fools."

" I'm guessing I can give you a mission and see how all four of you work before I let them go with one of you as a pair," Pein told him and another thing almost killed him.

Sasori gave a slight happy smile. It disappeared but it was there. He didn't say thank you, which would have shocked Pein, but this? This was too much. The leader needed a nap.

That and a larger food budget.

Ino awoke in a bed. She could have sworn she fell asleep on the roof. Sasori must have brought her back. She opened her eyes looking for him. He was where he always was at his desk, but today he was looking at her, instead of his back turned.

" I'm glad you are awake," he told her and she felt a warm blush find its way on her face. That was the first time someone told her that in a long time.

" We have a mission," he added and that just made it better.

" I can go!?" She was utterly excited but a part of her thought that maybe he could be just teasing her.

" Yes, I talked to the leader, now get up." She jumped up and looked down. Her clothes were tattered and she felt a bit awkward.

" Hey, Sasori?" she asked biting her lip. " Can I get a change of clothes?" There was a silence after that.

" I'll go find Konan." and he left Ino there feeling incredibly stupid and silly. He came back with a simple female ninja shirt and shorts. They were a bit small for Konan so they should have fitted her.

" Thank you." Ino smiled but Sasori didn't leave. " Um… Can you get out so I can change?" It was Sasori's turn to feel stupid and he left mumbling a quick sorry.

He saw Deidara also standing in the hallway. He waved to him awkwardly and walked over to his fellow artist.

" Why are you waiting in the hallway, Brat?"

" Well, Hinata is changing…" Deidara started, blushing looking to the floor.

" So is Ino…" Sasori admitted looking into the distance. If he could blush his cheeks would be the same shade of red.

" What are you fuck heads doing out in the hall!" yelled Hidan stumbling out of his room, holding his head. " The hallways already god damn small. Now you two are in the god damn way!?" He had a reason for holding his head, it was about to fall off.

" Where are the medics?" He yelled, just as angrily. Walking to Sasori's door.

" I wouldn't go in there," Sasori told him flatly.

" Why the fuck not?" he yelled opening the door. The men heard a shriek and a distinctive slapping noise. Hidan returned a large hand print on his face. The grimace larger then before.

" Damn Bitch!" He yelled as he walked off, trying to find Kakuzu, cussing up a storm and using profanities Sasori was sure hadn't been invented yet.

Ino and Hinata came out at the same time. There was a slight problem though.

Hinata was blushing madly, trying to pull down a two small shirt, exposing her stomach and Ino was looking out of place all covered up. They looked at each other and went back to Sasori's room.

" You have two half naked girls in your room right now, un."

" Shut up, Brat."

The mission was already starting out beautifully.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! Chapter five here~! Yay! Well thanks to everyone who reveiwed. And yes. Scorpion, Deidara wanted to pounce on Sasori in that last segment. heh heh heh. Someone asked if I could tell a bit about konoha in this so I did. I hope you like it. It kind of gives an idea of what is going on. Their relatinship is going kind of slow but I like it like that. Not too fast.

**Disclaimer: **I really hate bugs. But I love Dengeki Daisy.

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**Chapter four: **Better Place

Sakura was lying in a hospital bed. She was pretty sure she could be released but Tsunade didn't want her or Tenten to leave until she was done telling the village that two of their ninja had been kidnapped and maybe killed at the hands of the Akatsuki. She didn't want to girls to be there when she recapped the details. She didn't want them to break down, they had been through a lot already.

Sakura felt at tear roll down her cheek. Mainly because they had used Kakashi's dogs earlier to find their scent and nothing came up. The scent just ended a couple steps away from the battle. The mix of Akatsuki and death, they said. Blood. But not just Hinata and Ino's blood.

Apparently the two members had just massacred a lord and fifty of his associates on the border of Konoha. That was also going to be unveiled at the public speech given by the Hokage.

Their funeral was going to be held if they hadn't been found in a month. Sakura had begged they search for a couple months but Tsunade had to explain they just couldn't spend that much time on the two girls. Life had to move on. Some days, Sakura wished she was taken with them. Only because like this she knew she failed.

She didn't save them.

" Sakura!" and suddenly she was attacked by her blonde teammate. " We were so worried! Well Sai said he was but you never know with him but Sakura I'm so happy you're OK and I heard about Hinata and I know she's alive so don't cry OK?!" Sakura had a hard time hearing Naruto when they first met but now she had it easy. She had to hold the tears tightly, not letting them fall.

" Their funeral is being held in a month if we don't find them," She stifled a sob, putting her hands on her face, resisting the urge to cry into them. It had been a long time since she broke down like this.

" Them?" Naruto felt stupid asking but he had just heard that Hinata was kidnapped. A pit in the bottom if his stomach formed. He knew where this was going.

" Ino was taken too…" Sakura hiccupped, grabbing Naruto's arm. " I saw her face. Covered with blood." She cried some more.

" Sakura," Naruto said tenderly, rare for his character. " Ino ,they think, is dead. Her funeral is being held tomorrow, in the flower fields." He told her and watched her break down. She couldn't help it. Now she couldn't be strong. This one time, she'll allow herself to be weak.

" I'll never forgive them," she cried holding on to Naruto.

" I know," Naruto whispered, hugging her. " I know."

The young girl cried more that day then she did the night Sasuke left.

It was different this time. Sasuke was still out there. As far as Sakura knew, Ino wasn't.

* * *

Ino was alive and well. Better then well, even. Her and Hinata were getting dressed and Ino couldn't keep it in any longer.

" Do you feel really good now, Hinata?" She asked, smiling.

" Not near as good as, um, you, Ino," Hinata mumbled, putting on the shirt. Ino just laughed then did something that shocked poor Hinata.

She let out a high pitched shriek when she was done. Hinata looked at her shocked

" Hinata let out a war cry!" Ino laughed and threw her hands up. The shy girl only shook her head and let out a modest cry.

" That was pathetic, Hinata!" Ino laughed as she walked outside, feeling more comfortable in the new outfit she had on.

She was met with a red Deidara and an awkward looking Sasori. It made her laugh.

" What's your problem?" she asked, looking at the two, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Nothing, un," Deidara murmured and started to walk. He had Hiruko and soon got into the puppet.

" Let's go," Sasori mumbled also starting to walk tugging on Ino with his Chakra strings. " Stop being slow."

Ino mumbled a couple insults only to be tripped by another one of Sasori's chakra strings. The two started to bicker a bit.

" AT least I'm not the freak in the puppet."

" Well, at least I'm not the slave to the freak in the puppet."

They continued like this, each getting fairly angry with the other. It even got to death threats.

" This is the first time I've seen Sasori act like this, un," Deidara told Hinata as they started their mission. " Usually he doesn't even threat to kill people, he just does."

" Ino's always been, you know, a bit prone to argue, since we were little," Hinata admitted, remembering the wars that Sakura and Ino used to have when they were younger but it wasn't just Sakura. " She used to make girls at the academy cry. The biggest bully was brought to tears because of Ino but she's also good with words for making peace." Hinata had always been watching her classmates and Ino was always one of them that she aspired to be like.

" Danna isn't a big talker," Deidara murmured, rubbing his chin. " I'm the only person he talks to really, un." He frowned a bit, wondering why his Danna would trust him with that. Probably only because he was his partner.

" He probably respects you," Hinata decided looking up at him. " It takes a lot to open up to someone. Words are from the heart, I think." She finished with an unsure look on her face. Trying to get her point across but suddenly Deidara smiled, and it made Hinata smile warmly despite herself.

" You're right," he laughed. " You're completely right, Hinata-chan, un," Deidara smiled and the mission felt light. As if for a moment he wasn't a member of the Akatsuki and Hinata wasn't a kidnapped girl. They were just average people having an average conversation.

That image was shattered the second they reached the destination, an assassin guild off the rain village, for their first mission Pein didn't want the girls going too far from the camp and this guild was stealing some of the Akatsuki's business.

It was perfect except you don't steal the Akatsuki's business. That was asking for it. That and the Akatsuki's idea of 'it' is usually way worse then your own.

" How are we going to go about this?" Ino asked, looking at the guild, it was heavily guarded. Then she looked at Hinata and an idea came to mind.

" Hinata, use the Byakugan," she whispered. " See where the leader is. Two of us can distract the front guards and the other two can destroy it from the inside." Sasori had to admit it was a good plan. But he had one question.

" Good but how are we going to get inside?" He asked. Even if they did distract the front guards, it would be near impossible to get inside without more coming to destroy them. Nothing sucked more then dying on your first mission.

" Ino can use her mind transfer," Hinata mumbled looking at her partner. " Then with one of us as a intruder she can get inside." When she was done she smiled. Back home she never would have been able to say her idea of what to do.

" Great idea, un!" Deidara smiled and patted her back. She was taken back by the odd gesture.

" Yeah, but who's going to watch my body?" Ino asked and thought of Shikamaru and her old life. He always used to keep her real body safe. Back when they were a team. When she mattered to the leaf village.

She was brought back to the fight. It was after a failed mission. She didn't even remember the particulars but she remembered that Shikamaru was seething. He kept on telling her she needed to stop the stupid mistakes that this was why people called her weak.

She was never going o let that happen again.

" Ino, un?" Deidara asked, waving his hand in front of the other blonde's face. " We said we can put your real body in Hiruko. You can say you found it off in the forest so you and Sasori can get in easy." Ino had to admit that was an even better plan.

Deidara and Hinata stayed behind. They were going to make an explosion in the woods and then fight the guards that came to see what was going on.

Now this is teamwork, Ino internally cheered as she looked for someone she could grab hold of, preferably a female. She could take control of a man but women were easier for her. She knew the inner workings of women.

Men? Not so much.

Finally she found a female and worked her magic. She got in fairly easy, thanking her lucky stars that this girl wasn't like Sakura who had at least two people in her head at all times.

" Kimi," a large male yelled at her as she tried to go into the forest. " Why are you leaving your post?" Ino gulped and looked at the male smiling.

" Just seeing if there is anything in the forest, sir!" she said with a mixture of urgency and cuteness. Hoping to win over the man.

" Whoa," the man next to her sneered. " Kimi is actually being nice! Someone hit me!" Ino inwardly smiled knowing the second they got inside, he probably was.

" Whatever, I'm leaving," Ino growled, trying to sound mean and they let her. She found where Sasori was and nodded.

" There is enough room in there with me, right?" She asked, realizing how weird that sentence sounded. Hiruko just nodded, so she was guessing that was Sasori's way of saying yes.

In reality, Sasori has pushed himself to the farthest corner away from Ino's body. She looked so venerable. He wasn't used to feelings. And he sure as heel hated the one he felt know.

Puppets were supposed to feel. And that pissed him off more.

" I found this!" He heard Ino say, wanting to chuckle at how mean she was trying to sound. Ino also was on the verge of chuckling. It was fun playing as someone new. She was shocked at how easy they her through. This Kimi person was obviously someone that struck fear in these men's hearts.

Hinata had informed her earlier that If she just kept going forward from the entrance she would find the center of the organization and there she could get answers. She hoped Hinata was right.

" Sasori," she whispered, trying to serious and not out of place among the many associates and clients. " What do we do when we get to the leader?"

" Kill him and everyone else," Sasori murmured and Ino felt her heart drop. She had no idea if she could do that. It scared her but she desperately wanted to do good.

" Oh." She replied sadly and then sucked it up as they got closer to the main room. When she got there was a man sitting at a desk. He looked up to her and smiled.

" Kimi!" he yelled and got up and hugged her. " They weren't too mean to you, right?" He cried and squeezed.

" Where's the boss?" she asked wanting to run away from this guy.

" How mean!" the man cried. " How could you forget!" He stopped hugging her and pointed to himself. Ino about fell to her knees. This idiot was taking away the Akatsuki's business? This guy? Really?

" Sorry, boss," Ino gulped and smiled. Amazed by how fast the man bounced back. She was starting to see why Kimi was always in such a bad mood.

" Oh, it's OK!" He laughed and looked at her with a warm face.

" So, The Akatsuki's mad at you and say you're stealing their business," Ino told the man, getting an idea. She heard Sasori cough and Hiruko wagged his tail, he was probably mad at her but Ino had a plan.

" Those guys!" The man's face fell slightly. " Can we negotiate with them?"

" No," Ino said sternly. " They said they are going to kill you. They gave us this," she paused pointing to Sasori. " We don't know what it is but we suspect it's a timed weapon."

" Well," the man smiled but Ino didn't like the look of it. " Destroy it then. We won't back down to some club." Ino sighed. So much for tricking him. She dug into her pocket and found a kunai. She grasped hold of it and right as she was about to pull it out the unspeakable happened.

This guy leaned in to give her a kiss. She about died. All function was lost. It was a perfect time for Kimi to gain back control of her body

Ino awoke inside Hiruko. It was actually quite roomy. She looked around and found that Sasori was nowhere to be seen and sudden Hiruko opened and she pulled out the puppet like a rag doll. She came face to face with an extremely angry looking Sasori who was covered with - what she suspected was- the boss' and Kimi's blood.

" Are you stupid?" He yelled shaking her. She got angry too.

" It wasn't my fault the freak kissed me!" She yelled getting red in the face. Ino felt another fight coming on. She had done actually what she promised herself she would never do. That was what she was mostly upset about.

" You lost control!" he yelled. " You could have been killed! You're lucky I was here!"

" It seems like that's always the case, huh?" Ino yelled, looking away from Sasori. " You can kill me." She whispered and turned her head to look into his eyes. He just dropped her.

" Ow!" Ino cursed rubbing her butt. She looked up as Sasori was reentering his prized puppet.

" Don't ever do anything as stupid as that ever again, OK?" Sasori sighed and started to leave. Ino wiped her face quickly and followed him.

" I'll make it up to you one day, Sasori!" She yelled as she tried to catch up. He looked behind his shoulder briefly and then turned his head again.

" I mean it, jerk!" she cried and she even redeemed herself. Knocking out one of the few survivors. Even being able to slice his neck when he was done.

" Sasori!" she yelled jumping up and down. " I did it!"

" How do all the dead bodies not bother you?" He murmured, still ahead of her. " What are you some sort of freak?"

Ino heard this and smiled, catching up with him. Convinced she just got closer to having her wish come true. Unbeknownst to her, Sasori was thinking the same thing.

Deidara and Hinata were waiting for they. A bunch of bodies surrounded them too. That and marks on the ground where there had been explosions.

" Ino!" Hinata waved . " We were starting to get worried! How was it?"

" Uneventful." Sasori answered before she could open her mouth. She smiled, convinced he was covering for her. Hinata looked confused and just nodded.

" Well let's go, un," Deidara shrugged and the four them got on there way. After a while Hinata looked at Ino.

" Ino?' she asked, playing with her fingers awkwardly. " We heard a lot about a Kimi person, did you meet her?"

" You don't want to know, Hinata," Ino sighed exhausted. " You really don't want to know."

When they got back to camp Ino went straight for Sasori's room, waving to Hinata plopping on her bed. Sasori, after reporting to the leader also came in.

" What are you thinking about?" she asked, looking up to the puppet master. He looked down at her, blankly.

" Why I keep your around, " He told her and she stuck her tongue out at him. " I'm glad you didn't kill me though," She smiled closing her eyes. " I'm glad that you brought me here."

" Go to sleep, Ino," Sasori told her, brushing her bangs out of her face. He watched her fall asleep and for a moment he knew why he didn't kill her. But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of letting her know that.

* * *

The flowers were beautiful. They were in full bloom as if they knew what they were hosting. There was a coffin in the middle of the field. The only thing in it were strands of blonde hair and a tattered piece of purple clothe.

The whole village was there, the people who were chosen to talk were Ino's family, Sakura, and finally Shikamaru. He was the last to talk.

" We got into a fight before she went on the mission," he started, feeling the tears coming. " I told her she was useless. I told her a bunch of things. And what I regret the most is knowing that she died hating me. That those men came to our village and killed her before I could tell her how wrong I was. The last time I saw Ino she was crying… " He felt the sobs shake his body but he didn't stop.

" One day I might be able to forgive those men," Shikamaru wiped his face and looked back to the audience. " But I won't let them forget what they have done. For Ino and the countless others that have been lost to their hands. I will bring down the Akatsuki… Look, Ino, the flowers are beautiful. She'd be laughing at us crying, wouldn't she? She'd laugh and pick some flowers," he stopped speaking and picked up a lone purple flower and set in on her coffin.

" You're where you belong now, Ino," he whispered and took his place in the crowd. " You're in a better place now."


	6. Chapter 6

Hey! Sorry for that wait! But this chapter is a bit longer so does that make up for it? Anywho I hope you enjoy and tell me about it! It might make me go faster :P. So R&R

Disclaimer: It's late.

Chapter 6: Smiling for me.

Ino awoke the day after her funeral feeling refreshed and rejuvenated in a blissful ignorance. She remembered an odd dream faintly. She remembered what she thought was a field of flowers and what sounded like sobbing but Ino simply shrugged it off as what was probably just another weird dream. She then smiled softly anticipating another nice day.

Her smile would probably fade if she had any idea that many people cried for her the day before. Probably, anyways. Ino was the kind of girl to claim they deserved it if asked when she was in the right mood. The right mood being one of anger and frustration.

One that Ino was in a good third of the day, much to the dismay of the people who lived with her.

" I'm where I belong," she murmured to herself sleepily in her- well Sasori's- bed but not like he used it. She dug her face in the pillow inhaling the scent of freshly cut wood. She guessed it was cherry only because that was what Sasori was using late last night to make puppets.

One of them had been her "good friend" Kimi. Which even if she didn't like the ninja, seeing her body as a puppet in the corner of the room freaked her out just a little bit.

Thinking of Sasori, he was always waking her up. But a part of her didn't mind. She sometimes liked to listen to him tinker with his toys. She giggled to herself. If Sasori heard her calling them toys he'd probably give her a lecture about who the puppet was and how it's art not a mere toy.

" Hi I'm Sasori," she mimicked in his tone of voice. " I make puppets all day long and yell at poor, adorable blondes for no reason at all. Hur Hur Hur."

" No, un!" She said in a adorably high voice. " Ceyah! No silly, Sasori-Danna, un! Art is a bang like us, un!"

" What about me!" Ino said trying to sound like Kisame. She did this for every member of the house, being reduced to childlike giggles at her fun. Ino then continued to make kissing noises until she heard an annoyed sigh.

" Ino," the voice that belonged to Sasori did not sound amused. " One. I yell at you because you're annoying. Two. That was the most disgusting thing I have ever heard in my life. And I work for the Akatsuki. Three. You are the only person in the entire world who thinks the Akatsuki base is where they belong."

Ino turned bright red as she faced Sasori, who much to her surprise, had a slight grin. Well, what looked like he was attempting a grin but couldn't get it right. Ino laughed then and help her sides.

" What" Sasori asked, beginning to go back to his normal face, annoyed at the girl for laughing. He should had been the one laughing at her for being so stupid if he could laugh.

" Oh," Ino laughed harder then finally regained her cool after another round of laughter. " Your face was priceless! What was that!"

" Fine," the puppet master frowned and began to turn away. " I might make you into a puppet now. Then I wouldn't have to listen what comes out of your idiotic mouth anymore."

" You're so childish, Sasori!" Ino laughed then regained her cool quickly knowing it would only offend him more. " Do you want me to teach you how to smile? I've seen one before but when you try they look so silly."

" Why would I need your help with something so stupid, pig?" Sasori murmured turning back to face her, only to come face with not an angry Ino like he expected but one with a crestfallen look on her face.

"Ino?" he asked reaching out a hand and then pulled it back. The coldness of his hand would provide no comfort.

" You just reminded me someone I use to know," Ino murmured, putting her own hand on her face trying to wipe off the expression. " She had the hugest forehead ever; like you could rent the space out to a small family in need of a home. And she was the biggest nerd and know it all and I wonder if she's…" Ino's voice trailed off. Then she smiled and looked up at Sasori who frowned.

" I'd like you to teach me, Ino," Sasori murmured, looking to the ground. " How to smile I was just being childish…" It took him all the will he had to say the last part but he figured it'd be worth it.

Ino looked at him and smiled. This was why she felt good here. Because of his awkward kindness. Ino swore it was there, you just had to really look for it. Really really look for it. Sometimes even Ino couldn't find it underneath all the puppet parts and metal.

" Yes!" Ino smiled and wiped her eyes. " Promise you won't complain!"

" I promise," Sasori sighed. He really wondered why he even let her get her way. In the end it always effected him somehow.

" So the first lesson of a smile!" The blonde broke out as took her fingers and demonstrated on her face the movement of a smile. " Do you still have mouth muscles?"

" How do you think I talk?"

" New rule, no ' Hey I'm Sasori and I like cynical comments' comments!"

" You're being unreasonable, Ino."

Ino sighed and put her hands close to his face but stopped short. She figured that Sasori probably didn't like being touched, he had the personality. So she brought her hands back to her own face.

"Just bring up the corners like this," she demonstrated on her face. Making an exaggerated smile bringing her mouth up higher then it could ever possibly go.

But Sasori only gave her a deep stare.

" Sasori-san?" Ino asked, trying to see if he was paying attention. He was not. This strange girl in front of him made him get lost in his own thoughts once again.

It was true. He hated being touched. He hated it more then anything. He hated it more then Deidara's stupid theory about art. He hated it more then Suna. He hated it more then most things and he sure did hate a lot.

But it kind of annoyed him that she figured it out. It kind of annoyed him because he figured that if it was her it couldn't be that bad.

" You can show me on my face," he told Ino. She raised her hands slowly unsure of herself, for once. This was much too slow for the impatience puppet master she he decided to tug on her hands with his puppet strings to bring them to his face.

" See?" He murmured. " Its not quite like your face, huh? That's a thin layer of skin so its smooth like skin but its different." he moved her hands to his mouth.

" I kept some of my mouth and my tongue," he told her sticking out his tongue. " So I can still talk." Ino blushed at her fingers caressed Sasori's face. It was different. But she didn't hate it. She expected when she touched it to be completely taken back but it didn't bother her.

" You can touch my face too," Ino murmured and the puppet master actually gave her a smile. It was a small awkward smile but Ino knew it was there.

And it was gone in an instant.

" What are you two doing, un?" Ino and Sasori turned around to the audience staring into the bedroom.

" Ino-chan!" Hinata yelled, covering her eyes. " We didn't mean to interrupt you and Sasori-sama's alone time but we were wondering when you'd be out for breakfast." Ino almost choked when she heard Hinata call it her "alone time". Hinata peeked through the corners of her fingers only to have Deidara cover her eyes with the back of his hand.

" Hinata-chan, close your eyes," Deidara spoke in an extremely solemn tone. " This is what people call lewd or risqué behavior.…you look with your bare eyes they might never work again, un."

" Stop being silly…" Hinata murmured softly, a little afraid what Deidara was saying was true so she kept her eyes shut just incase.

" Well seeing that you are busy, Ino," Kisame grinned his signature toothy grin and turned around, his arms in the air. " I guess we'll leave you with Sasori-kun. We wouldn't want to interrupt."

" Shut up!" Ino yelled. " I'll come to breakfast!"

" Why don't you take your hands off of Sasori's face first, Ino," Konan informed her friend and Kisame could be heard choking on laughter from the hall way. Ino, who was completely mortified at this point, took her hands off Sasori and got up quickly only to lose her footing and fall, luckily Sasori saw this from a mile away and use his puppet strings to keep her up. She murmured a hasty thank you and rushed out of the room most of the audience following except for Deidara who lingered in the door way.

" So what were you doing, Danna?" The blonde man asked as the other went past him. " You sure do let her get away with a lot, un."

" She was just curious of what my skin was like," Sasori murmured as he made his way into the dining room. There was no way he was going to tell Deidara the truth. Deidara lingered a moment longer.

" That's so unlike him, un," the man thought brushing his hand in his hair. Deidara stood for a moment longer before he too made way into the kitchen. " Why would Danna let anyone.." he stopped mid sentence when he ran into Hinata who fell backwards.

" Hinata-chan?" he brought his hand to her level so she could grab it. " What were you doing. Ino said just cause she healed your ankle it was a bone wound so you should still be careful, un," he lifted her up and she frowned slightly.

" Your hand licked me, Deidara-san," she murmured flushing and stuttering a bit " I just came to tell you that breakfast is getting cold and," she blushed and looked down.

" You came running to tell me that, un?" He asked with a grin on his face. " I bet its not even that cold yet, right?"

" Um," Hinata mumbled. " Lukewarm… I suppose. It was hot, though… Might still be. " She admitted and looked away from him.

" Have you eaten yet, un?" Deidara asked her lifting up her face. " Don't worry my hands won't lick your chin."

" I ate," Hinata mumbled looking into his eye. " A bite or so. Hurry up, Deidara-san! It probably is cold now cause you've been silly!" She looked at him and started to walk backwards. Only to be stopped by Deidara.

" You ran into me going forwards… Do you really think I will let you go backwards, un?"

" Deidara-san!"

Deidara laughed loudly and let her go. They walked together in the hallway.

" I think I understand Danna a little more now, un!" he laughed loudly and smiled. Hinata, who didn't understand at all, found herself smiling with him despite herself.

The two made way into the dining area to find Ino glaring ate everyone, stuffing her mouth with the stacks of eggs and bread on her plate. Throwing away all the dieting she had mastered the art of in Konoha.

" Whoa," Kisame said offhandedly. " She even eats like a pig."

" Instead of giving her a damn plate we should just put a fucking trough in front of her and fill it with some pig slop for the bitch," Hidan murmured as he walked into the dining room, covered in blood and weird writing. Everyone was used to it and didn't give him a second glance.

Save for Hinata who gave the remainder of her breakfast to Deidara.

" Shut up!" Ino was getting red in the face and she didn't know how to retaliate so she just said what came to mind. " Fish face, get a hobby and Hidan go cut yourself, you false god worshipping weirdo."

" What did you say, you pig nosed bitch?" Hidan yelled looking at Ino menacing. " What did you say about Jashin? You have a death wish? Cause I can definitely fulfill it, bitch."

" Is that all you can say?" Ino murmured looking at him. " Bitch? Can't you think of a better insult other then bitch? Or does Jashin like stupid followers?"

" You can talk all the shit you want, Pig." Hidan spat out at her. " But you're just a tool. You were the one that was fucking kidnapped. What are you too weak? I heard a rumor that the leaf village spews out a bunch of bitchy no good females like you. Looks like so many, in fact, that they don't even care about getting you back, you pig nosed slut."

Itachi took a sip of water watching the two fight. It was hard to see someone yell at Hidan. Usually he would just skip to killing people with no need for an argument. It also looked like, from the sharigan wielding members eyes, that Hidan had definitely won with that last blow. Ino would probably break down in tears or storm off. Either way, he would be left uninterested

Sasori was also watching intently. He knew Ino could hold her own but Hidan was attacking with the intent to kill. With words of course but still. Sasori had an urge to rip the mans head off and bury it in the yard. He had no idea why. He looked to Ino and knew that she would probably let her emotions get the best of her.

Probably wasn't something that controlled Ino Yamanaka though.

" Maybe I don't want to go back!" Ino screamed. " Maybe I know that I'm weak? What about that, you son of a bitch? If I'm a weak girl what does that make you? Why are you worshipping Jashin? For immortality? How lonely is that! We're the same, Hidan."

Itachi was actually interested and had to give it to Ino. She defiantly was not just some leaf village ninja. He had seen plenty of them.

Sasori gave a faint smile for a moment. That was the Ino he couldn't turn into a puppet. The smile soon vanished, but not before some of the Akatsuki did tremble at the sight of it.

" Anyways," Hinata spoke up looking to Ino then to Hidan. " Ino-chan, take a deep breath. You needn't always rely on yelling sometimes taking the high road is best. And Hidan. I am from the leaf village as well. Does that make me just some weak female?"

Now Hidan was the one at a lost for words. Because, for the most part, everyone enjoyed Hinata. And she was regarded as just a sweet girl. Yet, the look she gave Hidan was the coldest he had ever seen. It was as if Jashin himself was searching through his damned soul.

" Fucking Sorry… Hinata-chan," Hidan mumbled, not looking up.

" Thank you, Hidan-san," Hinata smiled in her normal squeaky and shaken tone of voice. Hidan shook his head, let out a few profanities, and went back into the depths of the Akatsuki compounds.

The whole breakfast crowd was left in a eerie silence when the leader walked in, looking for Hinata and Ino. He was combated with blank stares and terrified looks. The only ones that were normal were the girls he was looking for.

" What's wrong, Konan?" He asked his blue haired partner who just shook her head and looked up to him, an already exhausted look on her thin face.

" I think we choose the wrong girls to kidnap," she told him no malice evident in her tone. It was quite obvious she had grown found of the two girls, treating them like younger sisters and when she had no missions she would often check up on them and make sure they were both OK. The clothes they were wearing, after all, had been hers at some point.

She liked having women around.

"I need Hinata and Ino now," the leader murmured then looked to Deidara and Sasori who were starting to get out of their chairs. " Alone."

Deidara sat down but Sasori was still up, arms crossed and a deadly glare planted on his face. He didn't move but his eyes trailed both girls as they followed the leader.

"Hey," Konan called to Sasori and Deidara. " You two can look into the distant for those two later. But we have missions. The leader left the briefs on the table, everyone find your own and then disband." Soon everyone who had missions left even Sasori and Deidara had one.

" This sucks, un," Deidara said as he made sure his hair was fixed and packed some of his supplies. His eyes were clearly furrowed and he would probably relieve the stress by blowing something- or someone for that matter- up.

" Shut up, Brat." Sasori told him as he left the base. He would probably relieve some stress too, making somebody into one of his puppet creations.

In the other part of the base Hinata and Ino were being led into Pein's room.

Hinata was pretty sure they were going to be killed and was thinking of all the things she should have done. She was seriously starting to regret everything. How shy she was. How she never told a sort of spazzy knuckle head that she loved him. How she never got any of her family's approval. She also desperately wanted to see her team one last time.

But another blonde's face came to mind in the midst of her thoughts.

Ino, on the other hand, was anticipating nothing. She just wanted to finish this quickly. That and she hoped not to many people were hurt during their missions. She liked the work but she liked it more when they all came home fine.

" Come in, you two," Pein told the girls and lead them into his room which was dark and then the leader sat at a desk, Hinata and Ino in front of him.

" So, I've heard from Deidara and Sasori that you two have potential," the man mumbled and took out two scrolls with their briefs on them. The Akatsuki had info on many ninja all over the world thanks to members and to people who were loyal to the group. They also had many other smaller organizations backing them up. It was extremely easy to get people's information.

Especially when they came from such well known families, like the two leaf nin in front of him.

" Is that my face?" Ino asked, inspecting the picture from where she was standing and grimaced. The picture was horrid. She had her eyes closed and her mouth open like she was talking. No way would she be caught in a photo eating, hopefully.

" It says on your files that you have no potential to be threats." Pein told them, choosing to ignore Ino. She - by what the leader had been told- also had the potential to be annoying and the last thing he needed was another annoying blonde running around. Especially if this blonde also had a tendency to blow things up.

That would be the cherry on the crap sundae for sure.

" It says here that you can use the mind transfer technique," Pein read off Ino's file and then looked to the girl. " Can you only take over a mind? For how long"

" Yes and for a little over three hours," Ino admitted sheepishly. She sounded pathetic.

" We will have to increase that time," Pein told her. " That and try messing with a person's thought process, their mind, when in there. You will be surprised how much you will learn and can do." Ino smiled and mentally stored the pointer. The leader was a powerful man and she knew to take anything he said to heart.

The leader then continued to give both girls pointers and asked them about their techniques and strength. He was shocked and glad when he found out that Hinata had an elemental affinity with water and could use it to her advantage. The files defiantly had some holes in them when it came to these girls.

" I think you two might have potential despite your files and I am willing to let you both be molded into someone powerful," Pein told the girls, both looking calm, " The training will not be like any you have received. You might have been told this before. I'm actually being honest with you. I, nor anyone else in this base for that matter, care that you are females. You will be trained by various members sometimes alone and sometimes together. You will occasionally go on missions with another member; like before you will sometimes go on these missions without the other."

" If you try to escape on these missions or during training you will be hunted and killed when you are found," Pein told the girls, surprised that they kept their stoic faces. " No mercy will be given. All full members are above you and what they say during your time spent with them goes. The training starts tomorrow. Do I make myself clear?"

" Yes Leader-sama," Hinata and Ino both said, bowing to the leader. Pein was shocked to find Hinata giving a sigh of relief and Ino grinning after they bowed. They were certainly interesting girls.

" You are both dismissed," The leader told them. The girls bowed again before leaving the room.

" That was awesome!" Ino exclaimed, punching the air.

" I was expecting he was going to kill us or torture us for information about the village," Hinata admitted, taking a deep breath before smiling too. " Well, I'm glad it was quite the opposite."

" I didn't know you were a pessimist, Hinata-chan."

" I'm a Hyuuga." Hinata told Ino, smiling a bit. " We all are."

" I didn't know Hyuugas had personality," Hinata and Ino turned around to find Deidara waving and Sasori not far behind him.

" I didn't know people could have mouths on their hands," Hinata told him.

" Ow, un!" Deidara held his heart a bit, frowning dramatically. " You just broke my heart Hinata-chan."

" Oh," Hinata sounded generally upset. " I'm sorry, Deidara-san." Hinata was what you could call gullible.

" Don't be," Sasori had returned and stood next to Ino. " He's an idiot. Ino. The leader told me you two were going to be training tomorrow. Then you should probably rest today and not get into any more fights. Come with me." Sasori started to walk and dragged Ino along with him

" Bye, Hinata!" Ino yelled and waved at her friend who waved back and Hinata and Deidara soon retreated to their room as well.

" Sasori?" Ino asked as they got into their room. " Where does Deidara sleep?"

" On a bed?" Sasori asked her as well, not sure where the conversation was going.

" But then where does Hinata sleep if she shares the room?" Ino continued just having a realization.

" On a bed?"

" Does that mean that they sleep together?"

" Maybe…"

" That means that maybe they are sleeping together!" Ino yelled, jumping out of her bed.

" By sleeping together what do you mean?" Sasori asked, generally shocked the blonde as capable of even thinking of that. He regarded her as too innocent to bother herself with those thoughts.

" You know," Ino said awkwardly, her face turning red." Doing it…"

This would have made all the color fade from Sasori's face if he had any.

" I'm going to go check!" Ino announced and made her way into Deidara's bedroom, Sasori following close behind.

" Hinata!" she creamed as she opened to door to find Hinata on a bed and Deidara on a futon on the floor. " Oh. I see you are doing it…"

This cause Deidara to turn bright red and mumble incoherently and Hinata to look confused.

" What do you mean by that?" She asked, looking generally confused.

" Sleeping together," Ino told her.

" The beds too small for that, Ino-chan."

" I see that now," Ino admitted shyly. " Well carry on." and as quickly as she busted into the room, she was gone.

" Well I'm glad that's over," Ino told Sasori when they made it into his room. " Men and women shouldn't sleep in the same bed till they are older."

" That's what you meant?" Sasori asked and the blonde nodded.

" What would I have meant?"

She was just answered with laughing. It was just a soft laugh and it didn't last very long but it was most defiantly laughter. She was generally shocked but a smile came across her face when she saw Sasori smiling.

" You've gone insane," she told him plopping down on the bed.

" Puppets can't go insane," Sasori told her, what sounded to Ino almost sadly. Ino frowned again and looked out her window. It was moments like this that made her forget he wasn't a human. Made her forget where she was. But she was always reminded.

Yet, it didn't seem to bother her as much.


	7. Chapter 7

A little in look into my mind: As I was writing this a gross image came to mind. Hand spit. I mean. spit and dribble is gross already but with the added image of from a hand made me gaga ( lawl. After rereading this later I saw that I put gaga instead of gag. I'm keeping it) a little. I'm not finished writing the chapter as I write this but. I thought I would share.

Also. I made up all the jutsus. So if they sound corny. that's why. I know [: Sasori doesn't appear a lot in this chapter. I kind of missed him while writing. He will in the next for sure Please review! I love reading them.

Disclaimer: This is silly. I always feel silly when I do disclaimers.

CHAPTER SEVEN: Training day

….

Kiba Inuzuka lounged around in the Inuzuka compound feeling rather redundant and dull. Even Shino looked duller then usual. The two boys were completely drained. Kiba's huge appetite was even affected by the lost of their partner.

" Sitting around doing nothing was always more fun with Hinata," Kiba sighed scratching the back of his head lazily." She made team nine that girl charm…" He looked over to Akumaru. The poor guy was looking sad too, having lost Hinata's scent. It got too muddled with all the others.

And that stupid beetle that Shino knew about wasn't in season.

" Girl charm?" Shino asked, looking to his partner eyebrow raised.

" You know," Kiba sighed, starting to lie on his back. " That thing that girls bring to the table. Hinata was just so cute and sweet… And God Dammit. I miss her," Kiba whined, flipping over to hide his face. The last thing he needed was water works. He'd punch himself if any water left his eyes. Then Shino. Then he would punch Naruto. Because he reminded him of Hinata. Everyone in Konoha did.

He didn't want to admit it to Shino but he was starting see her even when she wasn't there. He was going insane. He was losing it. And all he wanted to do was punch someone. It didn't even need to be in the face.

" What about Kurenai?" Shino asked, but he knew what Kiba meant. He just wanted to hear his partner's answer. It might make him understand a bit more. " Doesn't she give off the 'girl charm'?"

Shino hadn't been seeing Hinata everywhere he went; sometimes at night he heard her tell them about how the Hokage had summoned her for a mission. She sounded concerned. They had told her how much of an honor it would be.

He desperately wanted to tell her not to go. He just didn't want to admit this to Kiba.

" Kurenai is a man," Kiba told him flatly. " Men don't count, Shino. Well. OK. Kurenai is definitely not a man. But it's different. Hinata…"Kiba trailed off. But it was OK. Shino had gotten it.

But looked like he would be needing to punch himself in the near future.

…

Hinata had been sneezing the whole morning.

" Are you getting sick?" Deidara asked, putting a hand on her forehead, only to make her forehead wet with hand spit. " Sorry, un…"

" It's OK," Hinata said, wiping her forehead delicately. " No, at least I don't feel sick."

" You might not be used to the rain country's humidity," Kisame suggested, taking a 'bite' of his breakfast. Which translated to stuffing four eggs into his mouth. " It's definitely different from Konoha."

" Or it's magic!" Tobi exclaimed, thrusting his spoon into the air with a sense of triumph and glory.

Most of the Akatsuki just ignored him.

Ino always felt the need to pat his head or give him a piece of candy. If she didn't have candy she usually just gave him something shiny. Today it was a rock she had found earlier.

" Maybe someone's talking about you Hinata," Ino suggested, taking a bite of the eggs in front of her. Although, eating was the last thing Ino wanted to do. It being the morning before her first training session and she was super nervous.

But when she voiced this to Sasori that morning and mentioned how she wasn't hungry; the man just got up and pulled her to the dining room. Ino was expecting him not to care and let her stay in his room a while longer. But no. He even watched her sit down and take a couple bites before leaving her.

The good part of it was that Hinata had made the breakfast and, much as Ino did not want to admit to Sasori, she was glad she was forced to come down to breakfast.

" I doubt anyone's talking about me," Hinata said, taking a small bite of food. " I mean. I can't think of anyone that would." As soon as the words left her lips, she thought of a group of people who would. It made Ino think of Kiba and Shino. Which escalated into thinking of everyone back home.

It felt weird remembering Konoha as home. Ino didn't like the feeling in her chest so she decided to fill it up with eggs and took another bite.

Deidara also noticed the change in Hinata's face and thought of her partners. He knew who they were. ( So he checked on her file. That wasn't weird. Right, un?) They were handsome boys, much to the chagrin of Deidara who had hoped they'd be incredibly ugly. Fat would have been better too.

Most of the young men in Konoha were attractive boys, save a couple here and there.

" Hinata-chan," he mumbled, trying to sound sincere. " I'm sure there are people who care about you and would talk about you, un. I would."

Shit, Deidara inwardly yelled. That wasn't what he wanted to say at all. He wanted to say something along the lines of: No one is talking about you. Especially not some punk that smells like dog. Especially not him.

Which sounded pretty childish, now that he thought about it.

" Oh," Hinata blushed and murmured a shaky Thank you.

This whole scene made Ino, and almost everyone else sitting at the table, spit out their breakfast a little. Save Kisame. He was shocked but there was no way that he was spitting out food. Not in this lifetime.

" Ino," Konan whispered, wiping her chin. " Did you see that?"

" I was just about to ask you the same thing," Ino admitted, taking a napkin to the area around her. " I don't think they realize some people are trying to enjoy breakfast."

" I think we should inform them of the company," Konan said a little louder.

" Konan-chan?" Hinata asked, looking to the blue haired member confused. " Are you feeling OK?"

" Peachy," Konan told her smiling. " How about you?"

" Fine?" Hinata wasn't really sure where any of this was going but she wasn't going to ask. That might have sounded rude.

" How about you , Dei?" Ino asked, knowing Hinata was probably oblivious to the obvious flirting form the blonde. The man could have spelled out the words: I'm j-e-a-l-o-u-s and Hinata wouldn't have gotten it. " Anything you want to tell the table?" She liked how that sounded: the table. Made them sound more important. Like a secret organization or something.

" No, un?" Deidara also said with a hint of innocence. Though, unlike Hinata, he had a hunch about where this was going.

" But it doesn't seem like you have anything to hide, right, Hinata-chan?" Kisame smiled, he liked being a part of 'the table.' It basically meant he could torment other members. Which was always fun. When Hinata nodded a quick no he looked to Deidara, smiling his signature grin.

" Do you have anything to hide?" He asked Deidara, loving how the man looked angrier and angrier by the second.

" Any thing you want to tell Hinata?" Ino asked. ' The table' idea was great. It looked like Deidara wanted to blow up.

" Why would I want to tell her, of all people, anything?" Deidara said, raising in voice and beginning to look quite angry. His face was starting to gain color and a vein visible - and throbbing- on his forehead.

" Yes," Hinata mumbled, trying her hardest to keep a smile. " Why would he want to talk to me." Her fake smile was definitely lacking and she looked like a sad little puppy dog.

" He's what they call an idiot, Hinata," Konan told her friend, putting her arm around the girl. Ino did the same.

" Don't mind him." Ino told Hinata sweetly, then turned to glare at Deidara. " You should be ashamed of yourself, Dei."

" But you two started this!" Deidara yelled, throwing up his fist angrily. " Of course I don't mind her, you two used your women mind tricks!" Then he sat down, as he was before and huffed a bit. Ino just giggled, he was like a five year old.

" We were just teasing, Dei," Ino laughed, raising up her hand, motioning for Konan to do the same. " We're done! Truce?"

" See," Konan opened her hands, trying to reassure the man more. " No hidden weapons!"

" Whatever," Deidara mumbled but then the blonde man quickly smiled. " I'm most definitely getting you back though!" Then he looked at Ino and gave her the most sinister look she had ever received. It was like looking into death.

" Mostly you, Ino-chan," he said sweetly as the leader came into the room. When the leader saw Ino and Deidara together he always had to shake his head a bit. The similarities were a bit uncanny.

Their personalities were similar as well. It was hard not to get the two mixed up.

" Deidara," Pein said, tossing a scroll into the mans direction. " Since Kakuza and Hidan are out you have an assassination. Go tell Sasori you have a mission." Deidara nodded and went to tell Sasori, without first looking back at Ino and sticking all three of his tongues out at her.

Ino simply smiled and waved. Because, she figured, what could Deidara really do?

" Kisame," Pein motioned to the man. " You and Itachi, like I informed you last night, are still in charge of training Ino and Hinata. Make sure they never forget this training session. Konan. Follow me." and soon the leader and Konan disappeared leaving the others.

" He's totally into her," Ino smiled. " I know it."

" Ino," Kisame said, getting up and putting his dishes into the sink. " You're a weirdo."

Itachi also got up and started to walk with Kisame outside before Ino could get angry and deny everything. Hinata lightly touched her shoulder as if telling her not to freak out. Ino sighed softly and nodded. She didn't want to look like a fool her first day out.

When they had reached what looked like an empty field marked out for training; the two members turned around to look at the girls.

" Make as many clones as you can," Kisame told the girls. Ino inwardly smiled. This was so easy! Stuff they made kids do at the academy before you got your forehead protector.

Both girls made the clones with much ease. Ino inwardly, and probably outwardly, grinned widely. Hers was a perfect look alike and she was quite proud of her first lesson.

" Can these clones do anything?" Kisame asked and both girls looked confused. They were just a distraction, you couldn't make the multiples do anything. Could you?

" Watch," Itachi told them and made the motions for a different technique. When he was done there a clone standing next to him. " Now watch."

Before their eyes the clone started to walk around and then go into the forest. Then Itachi did another hand symbol and the clone was back inside of him.

" I have all the clones memories now." Itachi mumbled. " Now I want you two to try."

Ino concentrated. She had to get this right. She had too. She felt her chakra going and said the jutsu, eyes closed. Finally she opened her eyes to see her creation.

She almost fell to the ground in embarrassment.

The Ino clone was a good foot shorter then Ino. Had bright red hair and a bored look on her face.

" Why'd that happen?" Ino asked, touching the clone lightly only to be swatted away by the clone.

" Don't touch me, idiot," the clone scoffed, looking away annoyed.

" But you're my clone!" Ino yelled, annoyed. " I'll do whatever I want to do to you! Because I'm the one who made you!" Ino was getting quite annoyed, a vein throbbing in her forehead. Kisame's laughter was also annoying her as she made the clone disappear.

She side glanced to Hinata who had her perfect double standing next to her.

" How'd you do that, Hinata?" Ino wanted to know, touching the clones face.

" I just, um, thought about me and it happened?" Hinata admitted, looking to the ground slightly embarrassed.

" Can I try again?" Ino asked, and received a laughter muffled yes from Kisame and a nod from Itachi. Ino once again closed her eyes and did the jutsu.

This time the Ino that stood next to Ino actually looked like her. Both girls jumped up and down in delight.

" Yay!" both Ino's cheered and danced. Ino smiled as she dismissed the clone, feeling like she did a job well done

" Good." Itachi nodded and then looked to both girls." Judging by your chakra levels, you two should probably be able to make two or three clones. Which is good for just beginning."

" Now," Kisame added quickly. " To prevent what happened to Ino make sure you focus on yourself and no one else."

" I didn't think I was thinking of anyone else," Ino admitted, feeling quite bad, racking her head for someone that looked bored with red hair. Then it hit her.

Sasori.

She just prayed to whichever God was watching her that the rest of them didn't realize it. Sadly for her they all thought of the puppet master but kept their mouths shut.

" Now we'll talk about elements," Itachi told her, but Ino was feeling the effect of making two clones. She wouldn't dare voice her eagerness for a break. Pein did warn her that it was going to be grueling.

" So the leader told us Hinata had a affinity with water," Kisame smiled and did the hand motions for a jutsu. " Falling crane!" Soon enough a large crane made up of water came out of the stream from beside the field and dipped its head before disappearing into the stream again.

Both girls focused on the jutsu. Hinata's crane ended up being about Kisame's size while Ino's was more like an actually crane size. Hinata was also able to make her last longer.

Ino was started to pant, looking to Hinata wondering was she wasn't completely exhausted.

" Hinata will be less tired after using water techniques," Itachi said, looking to Ino who had a " how did you just read my mind' look plastered on her face. " Since her chakra already has a strong connection to it."

When Ino thought about it, Hinata was a perfect match for water. They were both calm and beautiful. Yet, water held a secret power as Hinata did. It made perfect sense.

" Now it's time to figure out yours, Ino," Itachi told her. " You both should be able to use most of the elemental attacks, some affecting you more then others. Let's try earth now."

Itachi made a couple hand movements and then uttered the phrase " Sinking Earth." Like the name suggested the earth around him started to sink.

Both girls did the technique as well. Both using a medium amount of chakra. Soon they had gotten to fire.

' This one will make Hinata exhausted," Itachi told her. " Since you are good with water." Then he did the Uchiha specialty the fire ball. His was huge, even bigger then Ino ever remembered. Even bigger then when Sasuke did it.

When Ino tried the first time she just coughed up some cinders. Hinata even burned her mouth.

" You shouldn't try this Hinata," Kisame noticed. " You already used a lot of Chakra burning yourself." The girl nodded and made room for Ino.

This time Ino made a fairly good sized fire ball. Not as huge as Itachi but a good size.

" I think I know what your element is," Itachi smiled a bit. Which Ino took as a good thing. After looking into all the members she had learned that Itachi only smiled when he saw fit. It made her feel good about herself.

" Twisting dragons," Itachi said as he did a simple sign and soon the wind started moving. Hinata only felt a breeze but Ino saw it. Two small dragons had appeared made of wind.

" Can you see them?" Itachi asked. Hinata frowned but Ino nodded amazed.

" I can do the technique but even I can't see the dragons," Itachi admitted. " Few people have an eye for air. Now you try."

Ino nodded and made the hand signs creating a huge gust of wind. Itachi knew that hers most of been huge judging on the wind. The dragons were beautiful and as Ino put out her hand to touch them they felt real.

And she felt as if very little chakra was used making them.

Yet, she had very little chakra and stamina left from all the jutsus and clones she had made. Soon Ino felt the affect and held her head.

Hinata was feeling the same, getting light headed and dizzy.

" Good work," Itachi said. " Let's head back." Ino felt great that she got a compliment but her legs wouldn't move and she closed her eyes suddenly but soon all her weight was lifted.

" It's OK," she heard Sasori's voice. " I've got her."

" Sasori!" she smiled, but it hurt so it was like a half grimace half smile. " I can see the dragons! I wish you were here to see!"

' That's great," the man told her. " Go to sleep Ino. Close your eyes," Sasori told her as he brought her into his room, putting her on the bed. Getting her bangs out of her face.

It made sense she was wind. He thought as he looked at her. She was like a refreshing wind. Strong and carefree. Even, Sasori admitted to himself, beautiful.


	8. Chapter 8

Ew. This is such a filler chappie. Sorry. It's also shorter then I like.

What is with me and ankle injuries? It might be unhealthy. It's a 3 day break. And I don't have ap Calculus Homework. Thank God. I do, however, have to finish a Handmaid's Tale. Which is a good book for ap lang. I've also had a soft spot for foreign literature lately. Of course, I have to read translated versions since I'm taking Latin. I'm also a profile creep.

Disclaimer: Why do people do these? It's a fan fiction site? Duh. I don't own this.

….

Chapter Eight: Flowers.

Sasori was sitting. Which wasn't too noteworthy. He probably spent a good amount of time sitting. Or standing. Rarely did he lay down. That never happened. It felt unnatural.

He quietly side glanced to the person on his bed.

She happened to spend a good amount of time laying down. People in general did, if they weren't insomniacs. Ino was most certainly not an insomniac.

Though, Ino wasn't sleeping now.

She started to sit up and began rubbing her ankle, which got sore after training. Which, Sasori was informed of this thirty times in the last half hour, she couldn't heal because she didn't have much chakra left and Sasori also told her - about thirty times in the last half hour- not to heal it because he didn't want her to pass out.

" So this sucks," Ino mumbled for the umpteenth time. " I was supposed to go shopping too!" Hinata had gone shopping with Kisame for fish and what not in town, although that did sound so incredibly amazing to Ino. What sounded even more interesting was that Deidara was going too and that way she could creep on Hinata and the blonde.

But no.

She just had to get hurt. Typical.

" What is with women and shopping?" Sasori mumbled, turning his back on Ino messing with some of the materials on the desk. " It's never as exciting as you make it out to be."

" But I also wanted to spy on Hinata-chan and Deidara-san," Ino admitted looking bored and angry. Now Sasori knew the real reason.

She just wanted to be nosy. Typical Ino.

"I wish Hinata would hurry up and come home so she can tell me about it!" She complained.

" What did you just say?" Sasori asked, looking at her quizzically.

" That I wanted Hinata to come back?" Ino asked, looking at him a tad bit a confused. " What did you think I said?"

" Oh," Sasori sighed. " I thought you said you wanted her to come home." In fact he knew that was what she said. It baffled him on how she considered this place home.

" I did," Ino said confused rubbing her ankle still. " Home. Back. They are basically the same thing, right?"

" Isn't your home in Konoha?" The red head asked her, looking into her blue eyes. He felt a surge of an emotion after he said it. It was long time since he felt this unfamiliar pang. Maybe it was guilt? He tried to remember what guilt felt like. Was it like this?

Ino was at a lost for words. A rare occurrence that almost never happened. The blonde thought she should of said: I guess you are right. But there was another feeling somewhere. A feeling that didn't recognize Konoha as her home.

She felt the same way a couple mornings ago. She remembered faces and people but they were fading softly. A little fuzzy around the edges. People she saw everyday were still fairly clear but it was almost scary. She remembered how her father always had this distant look when he would tell her stories. Like he was sad even when he told happy stories. This must have been the feeling he felt.

It made Ino want to cry.

Sasori felt the guilt emotion get stronger. He tried to push it out. It was harder the he remembered.

" I don't know," She finally said and laid back down. " It's…" She trailed off, closing her eyes trying to recall every detail of Konoha. What was being sold a couple stores down from the flower shop? What color hair did the woman who sold those fruit have?

Would Sasori become fuzzy? Would she forget every contour of his awkward smiles? It was a sad and scary thought. A thought that really did make the blonde cry.

" It's so sad," Ino whispered, a tear escaping and running down her cheek. She put her hand over her face, a desperate attempt to hide the ugly expression she was most certainly making.

" Ino?" Sasori asked, standing up and sitting on the edge of her bed. It was all he could say. He didn't know how to comfort someone. He was pretty sure he never did. He didn't know what to say to the crying girl. He didn't know what to do. So he figured he'd just be there.

" I'm sorry," Ino blubbered, wiping her face sitting back up. " I know you probably think I'm a burden. I cry too much and I see dragons and I have sore ankles!" The blonde started to cry louder and more dramatically.

" Ino, you're being unreasonable again," Sasori told her wiping some of the tears off. " You're not that big of a burden and your ankle will heal. I also like how you can see dragons…" Ino started laughing through the sniffles.

"You also have the most horrible crying face," Sasori mumbled looking away from her. " Your smile is easier to look at."

" Thank you," Ino smiled widely wiping her face. " I hate my face. It never works how I want it too."

" I bet some girls would kill you if they heard you say that," Sasori told her as pushed her bangs out of her face. " You have a nice face."

" Thank you," Ino said through a deep red blush, she moved her ankle which hit against the bed.

" Ow," she grimaced and rubbed her ankle once more. This is when Sasori noticed how red and swelled up it was. She should have mentioned how bad her ankle was instead of complaining how she wished she was on the shopping trip.

" Wait here," He told her and disappeared.

He was gone for a while. Ino felt sure he forgot about her.

" Fine then," She sniffled, angrily. " I'll heal my ankle. Who cares if I PASS OUT! You don't!" she yelled angrily starting to summon the little chakra she had when Sasori walked in with ice and bandages.

" What are you doing, Ino?"

" Exercising..?"

" Whatever," he mumbled and used his puppet strings to get her to lay down and out her leg on him.

" You could have just asked," Ino complained and squirmed a little.

" Hold still," he told her as he wrapped up her ankle delicately and put ice on it. If he looked up he would have noticed how red Ino's face gotten. He would have noticed her expression changing into a much more delicate one.

She was able to recompose herself when Sasori was finished and put the ice to her ankle.

" I'll hold the ice," He told her, lifting her leg up with his puppet strings and setting it on his lap. " It's not cold to me so I'll be fine and you're not heavy. Just until the swelling goes down."

" Thank you," Ino murmured in a soft voice. " You're kind, Sasori," She smile and closed her eyes.

" I'm not that kind," Sasori told her coldly but she just smiled softly.

" I think you are," she told him and she closed her eyes, exhausted from training earlier that day and her complaining. Sasori just looked at her. She knew about all the lives he ruined. All the people he killed. All the bad things he did.

He wasn't even a person. He wasn't even human anymore. He had purposely forsaken his humanity.

And she still would call him kind. Things couldn't be kind. Neither could mere objects.

" Sasori, don't get fuzzy," Ino murmured suddenly, in a sleepy little voice.

" I won't, now go to sleep."

" Promise?"

" I promise."

" Kind…" Ino finally fell asleep, he could tell by her breathing and how she felt.

Suddenly another odd emotion bubbled up within Sasori. It was warmer then the last one. He had tried for many many years to lock away his emotions. He didn't want them for a long time but here she was. This girl brought them back. And he was starting to let her.

Her hair was in her face so he brushed them out, like he always did. He often wondered why she chose such an annoying hairstyle but it did make her aesthetically pleasing. But he probably liked her face uncovered more.

They stayed like that for a while. Ino sleeping and Sasori watched over her, the scene enveloped with peace.

" DANNA!" The mood was abruptly ruined when another blonde with a pony tail bust in the room. " Tell Ino to… What are you doing to Ino, Sasori-Danna un?"

" Ino-chan!" Hinata also came in, smiling widely. " We bought you- What are you doing on Sasori-sama, Ino-chan?"

" Hinata!" Konan also followed. " What did you guys- What in the hell is going on in here?"

" Her ankle is sore," Sasori told him. " I was putting ice on her ankle so the swelling would go down."

" Yeah," Deidara smirked and pointed to her forehead. " Why is your hand on her head, un?"

" Sorry," Hinata said covering her face with her hands. It was the second time they interrupted Sasori-sama's and Ino-chan's alone time. " We'll leave. Come on Deidara, Konan-chan."

" But Ino would like to know what you got…" Sasori mumbled. He looked away to the ground, shaking Ino slightly.

" Sasori-san?" Ino had also woken up, looking blankly at the man. " What's going on?"

" Nothing," The man told her lifting her leg and stand up, taking his hand off her forehead quickly. " All of these idiots came to see you." and then he left.

" I think we embarrassed him," Konan laughed.

" I didn't think Danna had the capacity to get embarrassed, un," Deidara said, rubbing his chin and laughing.

" I wonder where he's going," Ino sighed as she watched him go. Maybe something she said earlier triggered it.

" Well," Konan said, " Let him be. He'll come back."

" I feel kind of terrible," Hinata said, looking down, her face red. " Should we apologize?"

" It won't matter," Deidara told her, putting his hand on her head. " He'll just get angry, un. Let them be. Come on. Ino we have something to show you, un!"

" OK," Ino got up and tired to balance on her ankle, it felt slightly better then it did before her nap. She noticed that in between the bandages there were some herbs. She smiled warmly knowing Sasori probably got them when he left.

" Here it is, Ino-chan!" Hinata smiled when they got to the dining room. And there in front of them were flowers. Not just a few flowers. Bushels and bushels of flowers. Of all sorts of colors and fragrances. Ino covered her mouth, feeling tears forming once again.

" Sasori-Danna found us when we were shopping," Deidara explained, pointing to the flowers. " He told us to buy them. Said that you liked flower arrangements, un."

" Wow." Konan also gaped at the flowers with Ino. " They must have been a fortune!"

" Sasori gave us so much money," Hinata said shyly, rubbing her chin. " Although who knows how he got the money…"

" Come on Ino, un!" Deidara smiled. " Sasori said that after we had you see the flowers that we were to bring them to the room!"

Ino could only nod. They were all so beautiful.

" You don't know how kind you are…" She whispered, putting a rose close to her heart. Quite forgetting to ask Hinata all the questions she had about the trip and how much her ankle hurt.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey! This chapter will tell what Ino was doing and then Hinata during the same day. So if you read it and then are like lolwhyaretheendingsthesame? That's why. So. This chapter. Eh. I'm not so sure where this is going (oooh. That's a terrible thing to admit.) I mean I know the ending but I need to make sure I get there correctly. So I think this will probably be completed in 5 to 8 chapters. I'm a pretty bad with prose fiction. I go to a school for writing but I got in with plays and poems so I like fan fiction to practice with prose.

The next chapter will also have a lot of happenings in Konoha. Cause I think they're important too. Especially to keep this from getting too long.

Disclaimer: I love the band bright eyes. I must belong Somewhere

Chapter nine: me and her, him and her, him and me

….

Ino was messing with her flowers, along with the flowers Sasori had made her a desk to mess with them on and anything she might need. Hinata and herself had finished training early and were given the rest of the day off, mainly because Itachi and Kisame had a mission.

Her day had been incredibly amazing so far. Sasori let her heal her ankle, training was easy and now she got to make arrangements. Hinata was going to talk to her later as well, Hinata had suggested talking as soon as possible but Ino told her she had something to do.

Hinata didn't pry, that was one of the things Ino loved about the quiet girl.

Sure, in the back of Ino's mind, she wondered what Hinata wanted to talk about but it couldn't bother her now because she was submersed into her art. It would only be a couple more weeks and Ino would be arguing with Deidara and Sasori about what art really was.

Ino always felt that Sasori won those arguments.

She thought of him as he put the finishing touches on the current arrangement.

It seemed like lifetimes had passed since the last time she made flower arrangements. So far she had made one for Hinata and was finishing Konan's. Konan's had paper flowers mixed in with real ones.

It was the only origami thing Ino could make and they couldn't compete with all the beautiful things Konan made. Konan's cranes looked beautiful and elegant but Ino's cranes always looked like she had put the paper in her mouth and chewed on it before she made them.

Maybe even worse then that.

Flowers were pretty simple and easy to make. They were also flowers. Ino always did know her way around flowers.

She made the last paper flower and put it with the flowers. The flowers she chose for Konan were forget me nots and lilies. It looked elegant and poised, much like the woman she made it for.

Hinata's was a bit more difficult then the former.

To make it Ino had to take some of Sasori's wood (hopefully he wouldn't notice or mind) and make a sort of fountain. Taking the water in the air, the rain country had plenty of it, she made a simple fountain. Simple cogs in it made sure the water kept on flowing.

She learned the technique back home. Though, getting the water in it had always been a pain but training taught her to manipulate elements which could make some stellar effects.

But it wasn't all about the techniques it took to make the actual arrangement. Ino always felt it was about what the flowers actually said. What happened when you put certain colors with certain textures. What happened when the flowers started to say things. The message behind the leaves and petals.

Ino was going to make flowers for everyone. She already had all the ideas set out. For Deidara's she would use dragon snappers and light flowers, Tobi's would have paper windmills ( she'd have to ask Konan to make them.), Kisame's were going to be aquatic flowers, and so on and so forth. She was even going to make Hidan one, that was how good her mood was.

She was saving one person's for last.

Sasori.

Mainly because, much to her chagrin, she had no ideas for his. She figured by the time she had an idea for his, she'd have finished the rest of them. She continued on her creations each one beautiful and unique. She looked out the small window in Sasori's room. It was about time for the sun to start to set. That meant it would soon be dinner and most, if not all the associates, would be there to eat and receive their arrangements.

" I hope they all like them," Ino mumbled looking at each arrangement. Each one shined but then it dawned on her. There was still one person missing.

Still no idea for Sasori. Still no flowers put together. Nothing. Not even one.

" I can't give everyone their very own arrangement and then be all: Oh. By the way, Sasori. You don't get one. Sorry." Ino uttered to herself, put her head on her desk. " What I do make him one and he's all: I hate it. Oh. I'd cry." Ino told herself as she started messing with flowers.

" Maybe I can give him…" Ino's voice faded as she wondered what she could present to Sasori.

A lock of hair? No that was too creepy.

A cool looking rock? No. He's probably take it as an insult.

Ino was seriously contemplating over a rock or hair would do when all of the sudden a red flower shone through the piles. It matched the color of his hair. Then she saw ones that matched his eyes. Then it hit her.

She would put together flowers that resembled him.

Ino went to work.

When Ino was done she took a step back and looked at the flowers. The red flowers were mixed with light blue and even there, snuck in-between the leaves were yellow and blue. There were no fancy details or elaborate creations. There wasn't a small Sasori made of flowers looking back at her nor was there a fanciful display with fountains and statues. Just flowers.

When Ino looked at it she was sure this was the most beautiful of her creations.

" I'll call it a Little Sasori," Ino whispered, sitting back down at her desk. " and me.." she added in a whisper, a blush on her face.

" But what if he thinks it's stupid?" Ino grumbled looking at it, holding her face in her hands. " He might just look at it! That's something he would totally do!" Ino put her face on the table. That's when the door creaked open and Sasori walked in.

" Ino, the idiots want you for dinner," Sasori told her, ever since they walked in on Ino sleeping the puppet master had gotten into the habit of calling all the associates " The idiots." Even those who weren't involved at all. He closed the door behind him when he saw all the flowers.

" Oh! Sasori!" Ino gasped, trying to hide the Little Sasori but the puppet master already saw it and picked it up.

" What is this?" He asked, inspecting the arrangement.

" Well," Ino blushed, messing with a flower awkwardly. " I had thought of making something for everyone but well. This is yours. It's Ok if you don't like it; I'll understand."

Sasori just inspected it. If he was honest with himself- which he rarely was- he would say that he liked it. If he was completely honest with himself - which never happened- he would say that he loved it.

" It's really nothing…" Ino muttered, clearing off the desk. " You don't have to accept it… I mean. It's not that great." Ino took his silent for unhappiness.

This was when Sasori took Ino's hand within his. He didn't look at her but he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

" I'm happy, I think." He told her a smile on his face, a small smile. " I know it…" He looked at her, Ino could almost say he looked shy. She felt her face heat up but she didn't mind. She was enjoying this.

" I should probably go to dinner," Ino whispered, also giving Sasori's hand a squeeze hoping to whoever was out there that he felt it.

" Maybe you can stay longer," Sasori told her, tilting her head up so he could look into her eyes. " I mean. We can talk… How was your day?"

" I trained a little before Itachi and Kisame left," Ino remembered her day smiling, she loved these conversations.

" Did you see the Dragons?" Sasori asked, awkwardly smiling, giving her hand a squeeze himself.

" Yes, how was your day?"

" I had a mission."

" How was it?"

" Quiet," Sasori told her, still looking into her eyes. " Deidara didn't go. The leader felt he'd be worthless in a more stealthy mission so it was just me." He brushed her hair out of her face.

" I can see that…" Ino told him, putting her face closer and closing her eyes when he got closer.

There was a knock on the door. The two broke apart; Ino blushing madly and holding her chest, Sasori looking away.

" Come in…" They both said causing Ino to get even redder.

" Dinner!" The voice, belonging to Hinata chimed as she came in. She saw all the flowers and stood her mouth agape. She didn't notice the tension in the room.

" Hinata," Sasori mumbled, taking some arrangements in his arms. " Will you help me get these to everyone at dinner?"

" Um… Sure." Hinata whispered taking some but let Sasori leave first.

" After Dinner we're talking, right?" Hinata shyly asked and Ino nodded and smiled, trying to hold her blush. Ino was out of it the whole walk into the dining room but her mood lightened when she saw the faces of everyone. Even the totally apathetic looked a bit charmed by the flowers.

The diner went on as people told her how beautiful her work was and Ino smiled and talked and acted merry as ever.

When the dinner was over Ino wanted to sneak to her room but Hinata grabbed her.

" We. Are. Talking. Right?" Ino knew this voice. It was the inner Hinata voice. It was the voice the girl used when she wanted things done.

" Yes?" Ino asked, not wanting to see the wrath of an angry Hinata. Rumor had it that only one person had ever seen it. And they died before the next day was out.

" Um, good," Hinata smiled and led Ino outside to the training area. The stars were out and if you looked up they were the only things you could see. It reminded Ino of the wish she made. She felt as years had passed since that day. She wished for Sasori to be human.

A part of her wondered why she didn't wish to go home.

" Hinata," Ino whined, looking back to the house. " Can we do this-" She was cut off by Hinata.

" Ino." Hinata asked, suddenly turning to her seriously. " What do you feel for Sasori-san?"

Silence.

…

….

Hinata was sitting in her and Deidara's room. On her bed. Which, at one point in time, was Deidara's bed. You could see where clay had dried on the bed posts and floor. Hinata found it comforting; the smell of clay. Ever since she came here, she felt reassured in the company of clay.

Deidara was also there. He was grumbling about why he thought he should be with Sasori today. Hinata felt reassured with Deidara, much like the clay. He was making birds and foxes in his corner, grumbling about everything.

" Deidara…" Hinata said, playing with the sheets on the bed. " You can have this bed today. I don't mind a futon…" Sure she was aching from training, which was more on endurance then jutsu which, to be frank, Hinata never had a whole lot of.

Thinking of training made Hinata think of Ino. And the infamous ' conversation' she wanted to have.

The conversation about Ino's feelings. About Sasori. Her feelings for Sasori because Hinata noticed. That and they were Konoha ninjas. Did Ino remember that oath? Did Ino remember home?

Did Hinata?

" Hinata, un?" Deidara had sat next to Hinata and was waving his hand in front of her trying to snap her out of her thoughts. " I said you can have the bed, un."

What Deidara actually said when Hinata was spacing out was: " No. Your comfort means more then mine, un."

But that sounded cheesy and it thoroughly embarrassed Deidara.

" Deidara…" Hinata whispered, looking down. " What do you think of me?"

Since coming to the Akatsuki, Hinata had gotten more and more blunt and started being extremely direct.

Deidara swore it was Kisame's influence, since the fish man spent an odd amount of time with her. Not that he was jealous or anything…

This sudden bluntness she adopted made Deidara find himself in many sticky situations. She was always asking questions about everything. The other day she asked Deidara if he thought Ino loved Sasori and the same with Pein and Konan.

Deidara felt the life sucked out of him every time she did. How was he supposed to know?

" I think you're one of a kind," Deidara mumbled looking down as well, his face tinted pink. " Like I wouldn't want to blow you up, un." Hinata started to laugh softly.

" And you've gotten extremely blunt, un." Deidara told her, messing with some clay. " But. You're modest and less annoying then Ino. And when you talk you usually say something, un and I respect that and you're…" Deidara trailed off. He wanted to say: you're the single most beautiful person I know.

Yet. He was pretty sure you don't say that to your hostage roommate.

Somewhere in the Akatsuki handbook that is a pretty big no-no. But it said nothing about thinking it, right?

Hinata felt her heart pounding in her chest. It hadn't felt like that since she last saw Naruto. Her face heated up and she was pretty sure this was what Ino was probably feeling too.

" You also can't lie, un…" Deidara teased looking at Hinata.

" That's not true!" Hinata told him, looking up and to the left. " For all you know I lie all the time!"

" But you don't, un." Deidara laughed. " Besides. I know when you are!"

" How?"

" You look up and to the left when you lie."

Hinata blushed. No one had ever told her that before. Deidara told her a lot of things she had never heard before.

" How about me, un"? Deidara asked, starting on a clay creation. " What do you think of me?"

" I think you're loud," Hinata told him, laughing when Deidara held his heart dramatically. " You're very kind. I like how you finish your sentences and you always think of me. I know your back hurts sleeping on the futon but you still let me have the bed. I think you're kind."

" I blow things up, un."

" That's your biggest drawback."

" I'm really not though."

" I try to look past the whole Akatsuki thing."

These conversations were common. Hinata, who had always fought with crippling shyness had become comfortable here. She still stuttered and mumbled with Ino, and she was becoming her closest, female confidant. Her face still heated up and her words faltered with Kisame, who she talked to often.

But this guy. She could talk for hours and not once feel like that.

She felt that he was listening and that made her smile.

" Are you having your chat with Ino today, un?" Deidara asked, messing with the clay. He disproved of the conversation, since she would probably just start unnecessary girl drama.

Deidara wasn't a fan of unnecessary girl drama especially since he lived in a house of men for so long. Konan, who is a girl, but Deidara didn't think that she counted.

" No…"

" I just told you I know when you lie, un."

" But I need too!" Hinata whined, playing with her hair. " You don't understand. It's really important."

" Whatever, un." Deidara rolled his eyes, taking the clay creation to Hinata. " I still think it's a bad idea, un."

He tossed the clay thing into Hinata's lap.

It was a cat. But since Deidara wasn't a normal sculptor the cat could sit up and purr.

Hinata loved it.

" It's adorable!" Hinata smiled, petting the cat. " I'm naming him Inky."

' He won't move forever, you know…" Deidara mumbled, pretending to mess with things. " He'll use up the chakra eventually."

" Then one day, maybe we'll have a live cat…"

" Maybe…" Deidara smiled. He didn't think about the future much but here. In the now. It didn't seem so bad.

" Dinner!" a voice boomed in the hallway, probably Kisame who was often the most excited ofr that time of the day.

" I'll go get Ino for dinner," Hinata smiled, waving to Deidara. She wanted to talk to him longer but she was waiting for this all day.

Deidara went to dinner wondering about things unsaid. He waited for Hinata before touching his meal and when she came back. She was carrying flowers

" Look!" Hinata smiled, handing Deidara his arrangement. " Ino made them! Aren't they lovely!" Deidara felt his face drop after looking at Ino's arrangement for Hinata. It was lovely. Made the cat he made look ugly.

But Hinata added in a whisper only Deidara could hear.

" But Inky still has my heart."

The rest of the dinner went on without of hitch, finally Hinata summoned Ino to the training field.

Hinata noticed the stars and remembered the day before she left. She wished for the mission to go smoothly. To have a good experience. Was this that experience?

" Hinata," Ino whined, looking back to the house. " Can we do this-" She was cut off by Hinata.

" Ino." Hinata whispered but suddenly got serious, mustering all her courage. " What do you feel for Sasori-san"

Silence


	10. Chapter 10

Hahaha I'm back! Does anyone even really read this anymore? Well. I decided to update after getting bored and rereading this and getting all inspired to write again. It's been so long haha. Sorry if I'm a little rusty.

Also nothing about Konoha here hahaha. I really did try to write about them but it didn't feel right? Maybe next chapter. (But who knows how long it'll be hahaha. I'm so sorry.)

Chapter Ten: Answers.

* * *

It was a beautiful night- the stars poked out of the deep blackness and shined like crystals in the sky. If was as Ino and Hinata had stumbled onto a dreamscape somehow as the world around them became almost hazy.

The cool air brushed against Ino's neck and back but she knew better than to assume that was the reason her hair was standing up straight- her body tensing. It was the question that still hung in the air between the two girls.

Hinata just looked at her. Ino had never thought it was hard to look into those eyes before- they were an almost milky white. Ino found herself mesmerized by them more often than not. Yet in this moment she found herself scared of them, because while they were so beautiful they also had a dull coldness. Yet they still remained sharp as if they could cut her.

These eyes were like the poetry Ino used to read back home. She didn't quite understand but they made her sad.

"You've changed," Ino finally said moving her hand to brush her hair out of her own eyes. Hinata's expression changed slightly softening. "I think your father would be proud." Hinata laughed at her- Ino didn't like the sound if it. Usually Hinata's laughs made Ino want to smile too. They had a twinkling sound to them as if each giggle was the result of falling gold coins but this laugh was much sadder and drawn out.

"Oh because staying with some of the deadliest criminals is something every father wants for his daughter," Hinata's hair swayed behind her in the wind. She moved her gaze away from Ino. "He's not proud." She said this quietly. Ino barely heard it.

"You're stronger now," Ino heard the sound of her voice cracking. "No. You've always been strong. I don't understand even myself right now. I didn't like myself at the village. I was envious of you, you know." Ino meant this.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Hinata took a step closer to Ino. "Ino. Everyone loved you. You were a talented medic and a beauty. I wanted nothing more than to be like you or Sakura. My entire life I have felt less then. Inferior. It was like no matter how far I extended my arms everything was still out of reach. I spent my entire life trying to grab at the sun but that's just it. It's too far away."

"But that's just it!" Ino felt tears beginning to slip. "We don't have to feel like that anymore. Don't you see! Anything is possible. It's like the first time I left the village- but bigger. Hinata, we are so much bigger here. If you reach out your arms now you will be able to grasp anything."

"Except for the sun."

"At the village you were reaching for the wrong things," It was Ino who stepped closer to Hinata this time. "You can reach for other things now. Don't you feel it? This soft feeling like everything in the world is okay. I don't even know the word for it but I can tell you it's right. Tell me you've felt it! Please. I can't be the only one feeling like this."

"Isn't that wrong?" Hinata had tears welling up in her eyes as well. "It's wrong to feel like this. Ever since we were children we have been told that these feelings - these people- are wrong. Why do I have to feel like this now? Ino," Hinata's voice broke here. She shook her head before she continued.

"The situation is wrong. We've been prepped for this. I can hear all my past teacher's words in my head: That if you find yourself in this situation you should try to run away, fight till the death or…,"

Hinata closed her mouth suddenly wiping the tears from her eyes. She was very much visibly shaking.

"You die with your secrets any way you can," Hinata looked back up at Ino. "Do you know how many times in the beginning I thought about it? How many openings I had? You were asleep for so long and I didn't know if you were even alive. You were so weak looking when you woke up so I couldn't say anything when I saw you. Deidara used to leave my room more than Sasori did in yours. He figured I couldn't leave with a broken ankle and if I tried he could just kill me," there was darkness in her voice at the word kill.

"Deidara wouldn't kill you," Ino interrupted Hinata tears filling her eyes. "I know that."

"I didn't have that luxury in the beginning," Hinata said looking away again. "I only had one luxury. His room is full of sharp tools for clay and explosives. He was probably half expecting me to. I could have done it, Ino. I had so many openings but the day before when you finally came out-" Hinata became choked up again. This time she didn't regain composure. She fell to her knees crying.

Ino didn't know what to do- her own tears flowing out in higher volumes. She went beside Hinata and put her arms around the girl whispering nothing important into her ear. After shaking some more Hinata began to speak again.

"Deidara came in that day." Hinata didn't look up from the ball she was in. " He asked me how I was. I ignored him turning my back to him to face the wall. He sat beside me on the bed-I tensed up. I had snuck a sharp blade used to crave at dried clay and had it resting on my throat. I kept on thinking: this is it. This is my last moment. I've thought that so many times but I really believed it then. I was just so scared. But I looked at him- I told myself I would turn look at him as I died because he reminded me of you in a way. Even though I was ignoring him he kept on talking. Soon I joined him. It was the first real conversation I had with him. And I didn't hate it. After that he introduced me to more of the associates and they acted so differently then I imagined. They were people. And then I saw you- you looked so weak but so strong. You cried like I was afraid of. You let all your emotions out and weren't scared. That's when I knew that we had to survive. That we had to for each other."

Ino didn't say anything. She just imagined Hinata sitting in that room. She saw her lying there. She tried to think what she would have done if Hinata wasn't waiting for her that day. Could she have lived with herself? Suddenly she saw Sasori's eyes the first time they met. They were beautiful. She remembered the first time she was able to look into them. She was so ready to die then.

"Promise me you will never think about dying again," Ino said finally shaking. "I thought about dying when they first captured us- before I knew that they got you too. It was so selfish. We have to live Hinata. We have no choice but to live."

"I promise," Hinata looked up and wrapped her arms around Ino. They stayed like that for a while.

"You are stronger too," Hinata said finally her voice sounding more like her own. Ino giggled as well.

"You still haven't answered my question," Hinata broke up the hug looking serious.

"I don't see why I have to answer," Ino said putting on a pout and looking away. "I'll tell you if you tell me how you feel about Deidara."

"I don't see how that is relevant, Ino," Hinata said looking up at the sky blushing bit her words beginning to have a slight stutter. "You are just avoiding the question."

"Because you are avoiding mine!" Ino smiled innocently, the odds quickly turning to her favor. "Are you hiding something, Hinata-chaaaaan."

"Deidara is a nice guy," Hinata said firmly trying to recompose herself.

"Exactly how nice, Hina?" Ino let her eye brows waggle. Hinata groaned.

" Ino, you are not avoiding this," She said hotly pursing her lips.

"Why do you even care so much?" It was Ino's turn to feel embarrassed and it confused her because she didn't even exactly know how she felt with Sasori. It was different than anything she had ever felt before and it confused her.

"Deidara told me about him," Hinata said quietly. "How he's not… you know."

Ino could not believe this. She felt herself getting angry despite it being Hinata.

"He still has a human soul," Ino said bitterly perhaps with too much poison. She could feel a guilty sensation wash over her when she saw Hinata's face.

"Does he even have any emotions?" Hinata said with a clearness. Ino shook her head. "I heard the jutsu to perform a body transfer requires many scarfices."

"He didn't kill me," Ino said looking away. "A person is still in there Hinata. You don't live in his room. He's gentle and maybe just awkward. He can still feel things."

"How do you know that?"

"He's kinder then most people I know with bodies, Hinata!" Ino let her voice raise. "How could you say that?"

"I don't want you to get hurt, Ino," Hinata said looking at softly. "I don't want you to feel something that you won't get back."

"I should be more worried about Deidara blowing you up," Ino tried to laugh but it didn't feel right somehow.

"Ino," Hinata started to say something but then stopped. "No. I understand."

"You what?" Ino was not expecting Hinata to back down.

"When you said Deidara could blow me up I felt the strongest urge to defend him," Hinata laughed. "We are strange girls."

"It keeps life interesting?" Ino laughed and lightly punched Hinata in the shoulder. Hinata smiled at her.

"Our fathers would be so displeased with us."

"Probably our mothers too."

"Even romance heroines aren't as dumb as us," Hinata was beginning to succumb to giggles. So was Ino.

"Romance heroines read novels about us," Ino said in-between giggles. Soon both girls were holding their sides doubling over in laughter. It was weird Ino thought how you could feel so many emotions in the matter of minutes and have them all release in laughter.

"I'm glad it was you,too, Hinata," Ino said finally looking up at the sky.

"I'm also glad it was you," Hinata had also stopped laughing lying down to look at the sky too.

"Why weren't we friends?" Ino asked making shapes in the stars. " You know, back in the village. I can't remember why."

"Social standing I guess," Hinata mumbled. "Like we weren't supposed to talk to one other. It's kind of embarrassing now, isn't it?"

"I don't think you get it, we are kind of embarrassing,"

"Well you certainly are, un," A recognizable voice came out. Both Hinata and Ino sat up blushing, although Hinata definitely was redder then Ino.

"I don't think I have ever seen you hair that messy, Ino," that voice was most definitely Sasori's. Now Ino's blush was giving Hinata'sa run for its money. Ino unconsciously began to brush it down suddenly aware of how puffy her eyes must have looked from crying so much.

"Wow, spying on girls?"Ino tried to put out like she wasn't completely embarrassed. "I mean I expected as much from Deidara but you Sasori? I would have liked to think higher of you." She could hear Hinata giggle beside her.

"I think they are what you call perverts," Hinata said in between giggles.

Ino could hardly contain her laughs as Deidara nearly face vaulted. He looked so hurt and even in the moon light so could tell his face was beginning to flush as well.

"Hinataaaa how could you, un," Diedara complained looking away. "You more than anyone should know that's not true."

"I'm sorry," Hinata said as she got up, putting her hand on his arm. "Did you come looking for us?"

"Yeah," he said looking away again. Ino had to stifle a laugh. All of the sudden a hand was put in her face.

"What's that for?"

"Just take it or are you going to sit that forever," Sasori mumbled. Ino took it as he lifted her up. "Come on you need some sleep."

"Bye, Hinata!"Ino tried to wave but it ended up looking rather weak. She yawned and nodded. She actually suddenly became so tired suddenly. So tired that she didn't even protest to Sasori picking her up and bringing her into the room.

Diedara was envious of how cool Sasori was. He could never just pick Hinata up like that.

"So did you talk to her?" He asked looking down to Hinata.

"Yeah."

"Did you get your answers?" Diedara asked frowning. She had a hard to read look on her face.

"I think so," she looked up and smiled at him warmly. "I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep already."

"How could I fall asleep without you?" Deidara snorted before realizing what he said. "I mean… What kind of guy would I be if I didn't come looking for a girl?" He could feel his face heating up as he wnet to grab for her hand.

"I'm glad I got you," Hinata said smiling letting him take it.

"What do mean by that, Hinata?"

"I'm not telling you!" Hinata and Deidara continued like that walking back to the compound. Hinata really understood Ino like she said she could. She only imagined what she would have said if the tables were turned and Ino had asked about Diedara. Maybe she would apologize tomorrow or perhaps she would thank Ino.

She'd decide which in the morning.


	11. Chapter 11

Hello again! It's Megs here with yet another chapter! This is kind of a filler chapter? Since I've been focusing on the girls I wanted to have some boy time, too. I always forget that Deidara has such an odd personality. He really interests me (Actually all the characters that die too soon interest me haha. )Any who, I hope you enjoy this chapter of Bright Eyes- which was written while listening to a copious amount of Bright Eyes haha. Also thank you all so much for reading and reviewing; I would answer all of them all personally but I'm awkward and really all I would say is I love you so much, thank you hahaha.

Oh also quick Naruto series thing. Does anyone else find Road to Ninja completely and UTTERLY hilarious? Like. It's an AU fan fiction and I love it and Sakura's parents are in it? That's just awesome. Well. And Kiba is actually my favorite character. Confessions.

Chapter Eleven: Different Sides

* * *

Deidara sat in a chair. The room was almost completely dark. He had gotten up, he approximated, about an hour ago and couldn't fall back asleep. Usually he would blow off some steam by either sculpting but it was much to dark for that or by blowing things up- a simple pastime for a simple man like himself. Yet lately he couldn't bring himself to do it and especially not in his room. Not because he suddenly became aware of the mess or suddenly explosions lost their allure it was more or less because it wasn't just him anymore. She had come into his life

She was Hinata Hyuuga. If he had to describe her in one word he'd probably use explosive. If someone, for instance Sasori-danna, told him to cut the stupid puns and get serious he would use the word bomb. This would only piss people, Sasori-danna, off, but Deidara had his reasons.

When they first met he had expected her to be a dud. She was a Hyuuga- which he figured translated quite literally to boring. But that one day they talked it was like she exploded and changed his life and made way for things and took down walls he had built up and it was crazy especially looking at her.

She had all the looks of a mild mannered girl. Deidara admired her, for lack of a better word, bigger assets. She also had a nice, easy to look at face. Some might even find her enchanting- beautiful.

This is the part where Deidara found his face heating slightly.

"Pull yourself together, man," He said to himself putting his face in his hands "You are acting like an academy kid."

His thoughts drifted to Hinata again. There was just something about how she carried herself. She was so crippling shy he thought but she carried herself with grace and poise. He often wondered how two creatures lived in one body. There was Hinata the shy girl, perhaps even a bit awakward, and kind and there was the Hinata who was more akin to a warrior princess- strong and well spoken.

"I wonder which one I like more, un," he wondered out loud brushing his hand in his hair. Realizing what he was saying, Deidara put his head into his hands again- he couldn't believe what he was thinking. This was a Hyuuga- a KIDNAPPED Hyuuga, he reminded himself sternly, you need to stop.

Deidara studied his hands. The mouths on them smiled up at him. He felt himself smiling back. This only caused him to sigh. Akatsuki members were supposed to act poised and proper and not let petty things like anger or embarrassment get the best of them.

This was another thing about Hinata. She made him more emotional- even volatile at times. He hadn't felt like that in a long time not even to this extent when he was a kid and terrorist ( okay so he still hadn't reached the age of twenty but he definitely was not a child.)

He looked back down at Hinata still sleeping.

"What would you say if you knew the things I did," he half whispered leaning back in his chair looking at the ceiling. "The lives I've destroyed. A long time ago someone told me that to keep your own life you must sometimes borrow other's time but that's the thing. I've stolen a lot of time. One day someone's going to do it to me, you know? They're going to steal my time, un. Like I did yours too. You don't need to be here," the last bit he said quietly.

Hinata didn't stir. He figured as much only in terrible stories did the girl ever hear the embarrassing confession.

"Do you believe in fate?" he was talking despite himself eyes set on the ceiling. "I don't think we were supposed to meet one other, Ino too. I think something went wrong. That the world decided to play a prank on us, un That sounds stupid but I mean it. I don't think I was supposed to meet someone like you."

"But you did," came a little voice from where Hinata laid, looking down he noticed that her back was turned to him again. "You and I met. So you're going to have to take responsibility, okay? You kidnapped me." Deidara noticed how her voice faltered and sounded small. He wondered what her face looked like- if it was red or not. He found her slight stutter to be oddly endearing and found himself smiling.

"I will," He said getting up and moving to the bed sitting down. She made an almost inaudible noise as he did so. "What if tomorrow you wake up in your village?" he didn't know why he said those words but suddenly he felt confidence.

"I'd wonder if all of this was a dream," Hianta said her back still facing him. "But somehow I think I'd know. That you really were out there somewhere."

"Me too, un."

"Go to sleep," Hinata said turning around to face him. Even in the darkness he could tell she had been blushing and he smiled at her.

"I'm going to lie here," He said lying down looking at her. "Is that okay, un?"

"It might be cramped," she said softly biting her lower lip. "I might be overbearing."

"I doubt it, un," Deidara whispered to her closing his eyes. "I'm strong. I will be okay."

He could feel her breath slow and could only assume she closed her eyes as well as he drifted to sleep.

* * *

Ino rolled over in her sleep and fell onto the ground. Sasori watched the whole thing happen. She was still lying there, too, completely unaware of everything. She was, Sasori often thought, a clueless airhead. She had that oblivious personality sometimes.

Sasori paused and shook his head- only a part of Ino was like that though. There was another part of Ino that was quick and cunning and mysterious. She was complex. Although, he noted, it was easy to just see one side of her.

Ino was different- although he found that people often used that adjective when they could not think of better words. She had the looks of a typical female- one much too obsessed boys with a pendant for dramatics and tantrums. Yet she was also steady and overflowing with a confidence. Ino was, he figured, a fountain of confidence.

Because that was just it. Being near the blonde made people want to change for the better. There was something about her that made people want to strive for their best. She lent you some of her power when you were near her- let you have some of the Ino essence. There was something about being with Ino that made you want to do your very best.

Something warm overcame Sasori as he looked down at her. She had somehow barged- pushing and screaming, falling, sometimes quite literally, into his life. It had been a long time since anyone had done that. People didn't show so many emotions to Sasori of the red sand. There were just things you didn't do for murderers.

But then again Ino didn't see it like that. When she looked at him all she saw was Sasori, the person. Note even Sasori the puppet.

"Don't do that," Ino said dreamily talking in her sleep. Sasori noticed that sometime in his thoughts she had rolled out onto her stomach- limbs splayed in all directions. He found himself chuckling at how ridiculous she looked (another thing he hadn't done for a long time).

He wondered how many people got to see the serious, silly and strong even the completely odd and bizarre different sides to Ino. People who had seen sides to Ino he hadn't even seen. He figured those people must miss her but he only scoffed a bit.

"They should have taken better care of you," He said picking her up, "Because I won't be giving you back."

Ino didn't wake up as he set her back on the bed. He inspected her some more. He was a little annoyed that she had spent a good part of the night outside with Hinata- presumably crying judging from how puffy her eyes were when he and Deidara found the girls. It wasn't as if Ino even cried a lot, he mused. She cried the most on the initial days of being here but that was natural. Mostly she tear up in frustration or hints of angry- a little quirk of hers. Yet usually she wasn't one for full on waterworks.

He was also slightly annoyed, he figured, that she hadn't told him why she was upset. Not that he gave her much room to nor did he ask. But he assumed if something made her want to cry that she would find that information to be something she would share with him.

This was another emotion he didn't understand and it only proved to annoy him more as he tinkered with his things. He wondered in the back of his mind if Deidara was having these difficulties with Hinata but figured Hinata was easier to handle then Ino. He should have picked her to stay with him instead of the drooling pig that was sleeping to the left of him.

Actually, he wondered, what if he hadn't taken Ino that night. What if the reason the girls were cring because they were sharing in a moment of misery.

"What if what?" He looked to his side finding Ino staring at him. She looked tired but she was definitely awake.

"Nothing," he said turning away. "I was just thinking."

"I never thought Sasori would be one to wonder but what ifs," Ino giggled propping herself up on her elbow.

"I keep the puppets of people around," Sasori said rubbing his temples. "I am a man that dabbles in the what if more than you would think."

"That's actually really sad," Ino mumbled after pausing for a bit. He turned to look at her. She was laying on her back her hands covering her face. It reminded Sasori of the first time she laid there.

"Are you crying again?"

Ino quickly took off her hands and looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"I've had enough of that for one night," Ino laughed it off trying to sit up. She sill looked tired and leaned her back against the wall for support.

"You've done that before,"Sasori said looking at her. "Put your hands over your face like that. When I first used chakra strings on you. You cried then, right?"

Ino made a shocked face and looked away from him. She bit her lip.

"I was sad then," Ino said suddenly looking back up but not at him. "I thought: wow. This is it, huh? They're going to give my village some ransom knowing good and well Konoha doesn't deal with criminals and I can't even try to get away. But also. I didn't want to be connected."

"Connected?" Sasori frowned.

"You don't remember?" Ino said looking at him. "You said that we were connected. You lifted my arm. I was so mad at you. But now it's just scary."

Sasori didn't say anything for a while.

"I scare you?" He finally said raising her arm in the air again. She smiled but it different have the usual spark to it.

No," She said and he dropped her arm abruptly staring at her. "I'm scared of being connected to someone like you know. Not because I don't feel safe but because I do. I'm scared of getting pulled away from you and Hinata and this place. What would I do without you?"

"Continue on to a normal life."

"What's normal?" Ino laughed lying back down. "Does it mean being weak? Does it mean conforming to gender roles that are so stupid? Because I can't like flowers and be strong and girls are troublesome, right? I don't want to be normal."

"You probably don't mean that," Sasori said getting up from his chair. "You just think that because I am a potentially dangerous individual. Your mind is fooling you into thinking I'm not," he got out a kunai. "I'm in the position to kill you. No one here would bat their eyes or even question my motives. You'd just be a memory- one that wouldn't even be thought about. Only on occasion when they saw a girl with blonde hair might they think: what was that girls name?"

"Do it then," Ino said looking up at him. "Will you make me into a puppet? Will you forget my name?"

Sasori dropped the kunai and turned around.

"I knew you wouldn't."

"Your reasoning?"

"Because you ask if I'm crying," Ino said smiling closing her eyes. "I understand Sasori better than you think I do."

"You really do," Sasori said fondly as he watched her. "Now go to sleep. You can't waste your time being awake. You have things to do in the morning."

"Goodnight, Sasori," Ino said with a smile falling asleep. In her last moments of consciousness she might have recalled something brushing against her lips but in the morning she would chalk it up to just being a part of a good dream.

* * *

Sakura Haruno went over the mission briefs in her head for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. She had to accompany some merchants to a check point. Usually that was something that was handed to a group of genin but this was a special occasion. Apparently these merchants had dabbled in selling goods to rivals and had become the target of quite a lot of scorn. So much scorn that they were worried that big names could get involved.

Sakura had no idea how in the world the men had gotten themselves in such a mess but she also didn't care too much. She was going to be accompanied by Kiba Inuzuka and Shikamaru Nara. Which, she had to admit, was really, really weird but apparently the two had been quite useless since Hinata's disappearance and Tsunade hoped that a mission would get their minds to focus elsewhere.

Sakura knew the feeling.

"Hey," Shikamaru said as she approached waving. "Welcome to the depressed team." Sakura frowned at the attempt of humor. Kiba didn't even laugh and usually he was one for a good laugh, no matter how horrid the joke was.

It was looking at Shikamaru that Sakura remembered Ino-Shika-Cho. She wondered how Chouji was doing with the loss. Kiba looked despondent but probably not nearly as despondent as Shikamaru.

"Let's all do a good job," he smiled and got grunts in return. Sakura had to admit that was exactly how she felt.

* * *

This was actually quite a fluffy chapter. Thanks for reading anyways!


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